I Run to You
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: AMERICAN CHOPPER: Brooke and Jr. clash from day 1 mostly thanks to his air-headed girlfriend. Soon everything falls apart for Jr. and Brooke and they find themselves leaning on each other. Things get worse as tensions at OCC intensify to an all new level
1. Summary

Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke. Also the title of this story and the lyrics within this first summary/chapter are from a song called "I Run to You" by Lady Antebellum.

NOTE: I won't be updating very often since I'm at school now but I thought I'd share with everyone what I've been working on in my free time : ) Enjoy!

I Run to You

Brooke is the newest member of OCC. As a girl surrounded by an all male crew, Brooke finds herself feeling at home. She blends in well with the OCC crew and soon finds close friends in Vinnie and especially Rick, but there is one person she simply cannot get along with: Paul Teutul Jr. The two young fabricators clash immediately, mostly due to Paul's air-headed and easily-jealous girlfriend, Whitney. The two women soon learn that staying in the same room together for more than a couple minutes leads to trouble. Brooke finds herself getting more and more frustrated with Paul as he answers phone calls, texts and even leaves the shop to be with his girlfriend. Brooke's anger and frustration soon begin to raise questions with the OCC crew. Everyone is frustrated with Jr. but not nearly as frustrated as Brooke.

Soon, Brooke discovers a secret that could hurt Paul Jr. deeply and destroy the close bond that she's formed with one of her co-workers. She finds herself torn between doing the morally correct thing and hiding this dark secret in a desperate effort to preserve relationships in the shop. But when the secret gets out, Paul Jr. finds his life crumbling around him and doesn't know how to deal with it. Brooke is forced to deal with her own heartache and the two young fabricators find themselves leaning on one another in ways they never dreamed possible. Love, life, loss, betrayal and friendship all packed into one story!

Also, if you haven't read my other American Chopper fanfic please do! : )


	2. Bad Reputation

Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke : )

NOTE: The title of this chapter and the lyrics in it are from a song called "Bad Reputation" which is actually the theme song for American Chopper

Bad Reputation

_I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation,  
You're living in the past it's a new generation,  
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's  
What I'm gonna do,  
And I don't give a damn ' bout my bad reputation…  
Never said I wanted to improve my station,  
And I'm only doin' good  
When I'm havin' fun  
And I don't have to please no one,  
And I don't give a damn  
'Bout my bad reputation_

_Oh no not me!_

The shrill sound of a cell phone ringing echoed in the warehouse-like building. A young woman with striking blue eyes and raven hair rolled her eyes in annoyance at the sound and slammed her welding torch down on the table.

Vinnie smirked in amusement at the sight and patted the young woman's shoulder as he walked past her, "Down girl," he whispered, "Take a deep breath…just let it go."

The young woman sneered in reply, "All Paul does is take calls and hang out with that stupid, blonde girlfriend of his. I mean, doesn't he have, oh I don't know, a _job_? You don't see any of the rest of us doing that crap. We'd be fired immediately!"

The young woman turned to cast her annoyed glare in Paul Teutul Junior's direction as the young man paced back and forth in the shop, giggling and whispering to his girlfriend on the phone.

Vinnie sighed and nodded in agreement as he picked up the welding torch, "Yeah, but we don't have the last name Teutul…and trust me, tenure means nothing here either."

The young woman just cursed quietly at that and roughly pulled off the protective helmet she had been wearing and slammed it down on the workbench.

"Gotta problem, Brooke?"

Brooke jumped slightly, startled by the commanding voice of Paul Senior. She shrugged and looked away, "Nothing more than the usual," she said as she cast another pointed glare in Paul Junior's direction.

Senior glanced over his shoulder and frowned when he saw his son talking on his cell phone rather than working on the fabrication of the new bike for the West Marine company.

"Yo! Paulie!" roared Senior, his booming voice reverberating off the walls of the shop, "Get off the damn phone…NOW!"

Paul Junior scowled over at his father as he ended the call and slipped his phone back down into his pocket.

"I run a bike shop not a cell phone service," growled Senior irritably, "Get back to work before I fire your ass!"

Junior just rolled his eyes at his dad's threat but complied with his demands. He sauntered slowly back over to where Brook and Vinnie were working and began to study the front end of the chopper. Senior grumbled under his breath as he turned to leave the shop and retreated back into his office. Brooke just shot Junior a look of disdain as he offered to help her with the welding.

"Don't give me your attitude," grumbled Junior, "I don't feel like dealing with it today."

Brooke's eyes widened with exasperation, "Oh, well excuse me for being a little pissed off with your sad excuse for a work ethic! The rest of us are slaving away over here on this stupid bike that _you_ designed and you're over there chatting it up with your stupid girlfriend!"

Junior's eyes flashed with anger, "Shut up, Brooke…don't talk about her like that."

Brooke just sneered and stalked off in search of some drill bits and an excuse to be away from Paul for a couple more minutes until she was able to cool down. Brooke had joined OCC only two weeks ago and already she and Paul Jr. were off to a rocky start. Paul spent the majority of his time finding various ways to communicate or see his girlfriend during the hours that he was supposed to be in the shop working and that annoyed Brooke to no end.

Besides that, Brooke found his blonde girlfriend, Whitney, to be even more annoying than Paul Jr. himself. She spoke as though she didn't have a brain and frequently cast glares in Brooke's direction each and every time she came to visit. The young, dumb-blonde made it a point to show her disdain for Brooke every chance she could get. Brooke didn't exactly know why Whitney hated her so much. She figured it was jealousy. Brooke and Paul had to work long hours together and spent more time together than the two young lovers did.

Brooke nearly laughed out loud at that as she dug around in the draw searching for her drill bits. If only Whitney knew how frustrating and annoying she found Paul to be then maybe the blonde wouldn't detest her so much. Hell they might even be able to exchange a kind word or two. That would certainly be an improvement from the usual, nasty exchange of words.

"Dude, what the hell is her problem?" asked Junior as he and Vinnie worked on the bike.

Rick smirked as he walked over to help, "You and Brooke trying to tear each other's heads off again?"

"She started it!" protested Paul, "She's flipping out on me again. I don't know what the hell her deal is but she's so freaking annoying it drives me insane!"

"Almost as frustrating and annoying as it is when you complain about it," retorted Vinnie, playfully.

Paul case a glare in Vinnie's direction. Vinnie rolled his eyes at that, "Sheesh, some people here are just way too sensitive for their own good."

"Maybe if you'd leave your phone in the office rather than bring it out here in the shop she wouldn't get so upset," suggested Rick, "She gets annoyed that you spend more time on the phone than you do on building the bikes…and you gotta admit, she has a point Paul. Besides that she's already had to cover for you a couple times to keep Senior from freaking out so yeah she's probably getting sick of it all by now."

Paul sneered at that and gave Rick a look of disgust, "Thanks for taking her side, Rick. That's great."

Rick just shrugged as he continued working on the bike. Vinnie looked annoyed by the whole situation and muttered something under his breath just as Brooke walked back over to them with the drill bits in her hand.

Rick gave Brooke a sympathetic smile as she and Vinnie started to disassemble the bike to prepare it for paint the next morning. Brooke returned the gesture and forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. She was grateful to have Rick and Vinnie there working on the bike with her. Normally Senior had them working on separate projects and she was stuck working with Junior on the theme bikes, but the West Marine bike's due date was coming up soon so it was all hands on deck until the parts were shipped out for paint.

Vinnie and Brooke had hit it off from day one. They were both very focused and tended to keep to themselves while they worked on bikes. They worked incredibly well together and had a deep respect and admiration for one another. Brooke and Rick had been attached at the hip from the moment they met. They were already incredibly close and had quickly become best friends. They did basically the same job: fabrication, so naturally they talked, consulted and worked together often. They had started hanging out outside of work recently as well and began to connect on an even deeper level. Brooke considered Rick to be like the older brother she never had and she greatly valued their relationship.

Just as they were taking the last pieces off of the chopper, Paul received a text message. The chirping noise combined with the stupid grin on his face caused Brooke to practically snarl in anger. Rick put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a warning look.

Paul turned as they shop door opened and a bubbly, tiny blonde girl came bouncing into the shop. She giggled as she wrapped her arms around Paul's neck and hissed him.

Brooke gagged at the display and turned away from the disgusting sight. Vinnie and Rick looked equally as disgusted as they started to put away their tools and clean up the shop. Brooke slammed her tools into the tool boxes as loud as she could. She gave a little victorious smirk when she saw that it was annoying Whitney.

"Something wrong, Brooke?" crooned Whitney as she looked at her over Paul's shoulder.

Brooke gave Whitney a fake smile, "Sorry, guess I just don't enjoy watching one of my bosses suck face in the middle of the shop."

Rick and Vinnie had to turn away to hide their snickering. It was all Rick could do not to burst out laughing at the appalled look on Whitney's face.

"Shut up, Brooke," snapped Paul Jr. as he leaned in to kiss Whitney again

By now Brooke was on her last nerve. She could almost feel it literally snap as she watched Paul and Whitney making out. Suddenly, she picked up a wrench and threw it across the room. Instantly the entire shop froze. As it grew uncomfortably quiet, Brooke shot a final glare in Paul's direction before she turned on her heel to leave. It was two hours earlier than when she normally left but she had had enough. She knew that if she stayed in the shop for much longer that she would snap and find herself in another nasty fight with Paul. She slammed the door shut behind her and climbed onto her bike, roaring out of the OCC parking lot as fast as she could go.

…

Brooke walked back into OCC early the next morning. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the borage of anger she was sure to receive from Paul Senior for her leaving two hours early the previous day.

Sure enough, as she walked into the shop she saw Senior standing next to the West Marine bike frame, glowering. Brooke lowered her gaze to the floor as she slowly trudged over to the bike.

Rick and Vinnie exchanged nervous glances as they watched Brooke approach them.

"Come to explain why you left early yesterday?" growled Senior as he towered over her.

Brooke hesitated before she replied, "I…I wasn't feeling well…so I went home."

"You weren't feeling well?" asked Senior skeptically.

Brooke nodded, still avoiding eye-contact, "Yeah…I felt sick."

Rick and Vinnie exchanged startled and confused glances as they listened to the exchange. Rick frowned in disapproval as he realized what Brooke was doing…she was covering for Paul Jr. yet again. In Rick's eyes he found this both admirable and infuriating. How dare Paul Jr. treat her the way he does when she on the other hand, takes the heat for his stupidity?

"Well next time ask for permission before you leave," ordered Senior, "We can't have you just walking out of the shop without telling no one, got it?"

"Yes, sir," replied Brooke, her eyes glued to the floor as Senior turned to stalk back to his office.

"What the hell Brooke?" asked a very confused-looking Vinnie.

Rick just gave Brooke a sad, understanding look as he walked over and put a comforting arm on her shoulders, "I don't think she wanted Senior to flip out on Paulie again. She's a better person than I am that's for sure."

Brooke just smirked at that, "It's no big deal…Senior would never really flip out on me that badly…not as badly as he would Paul Jr. anyway."

"Dude, Paulie should treat you like a freaking angel," said Vinnie, shaking his head in disbelief, "He owes you one big time."

Just then, Paul Jr. sauntered into the shop. He cast an annoyed glance in Brooke's direction as he walked over to the three fabricators.

"Vin, Rick, Dad says you guys are to work on the production bikes today. Brooke and I have to finish welding these pieces together so we can get them to the painter in a couple hours."

Rick patted Brooke on the shoulder before he and Vinnie turned to leave. Vinnie gave her a sympathetic glance over his shoulder as they walked to the other side of the shop.

"You gonna help me or what?" snapped Paul as he waited for Brooke.

Rick overheard Paul's smart-ass remark and whirled around angrily. Vinnie tried to grab his arm to hold him back but Rick wrenched his arm out of his friend's grip. Brooke's eyes widened in shock when she saw the dangerous light in Rick's eyes as he approached Paul. Paul looked equally shocked when Rick leaned forward and got in his face.

"Listen," snarled Rick, his voice low and intense with rage, "Brooke just saved your sorry ass from getting chewed out by Senior. She told Senior that the reason she left early yesterday was because she was sick. She could have and should have told him the truth but she didn't. So I suggest you start treating her better because you owe her big time!"

Paul blinked a few times in surprise as he took a startled step back. Rick just sneered as he turned around angrily and stomped over to the other side of the shop. Vinnie ran a hand through his hair and sighed, his eyes gleaming with worry as he followed his friend.

Paul glanced over at Brooke, feeling a sudden pang of guilt, "Um…thanks…for that I guess."

Brooke just shrugged, "Um, yeah…don't mention it. Didn't really want you to know I did that but…I guess Rick got a little upset."

"That's an understatement," muttered Paul, still feeling a bit surprised both by Rick's outburst and what Brooke had done for him.

"Let's just finish this bike, okay?" asked Brooke, suddenly looking exhausted, "It needs to get to the painters anyway."

Paul just nodded numbly as he thought over what Rick had said. Why in the world would Brooke cover up what happened yesterday? He and Brooke never got along much less liked each other and yet she was willing to take the heat for him. He shook his head in bewilderment as he started welding some of the bike parts together. Brooke was certainly a mystery that was for sure…

PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Watch Me Burn

_Got some extra time today and got in a writing mood : ) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke; Title and lyrics in this chapter are by Three Days Grace_

Watch Me Burn

Brooke yawned wearily as she walked into OCC early the next morning. The crew had been up late the previous night working on the West Marine bike. Senior had wanted the final pieces of fabrication to be done so that they would be able to go ahead and start putting the bike back together today.

"What's up?" asked Rick as he walked over and slung an arm around Brooke's shoulders.

Brooke smiled in amusement at her best friend. His blood shot eyes and somewhat slurred speech nearly made him sound drunk, but she knew it was due to the lack of sleep. She winced a little at the very thought of even looking in a mirror…she was sure she looked exactly like Rick.

"Everything but sleep," replied Brooke as she stifled a yawn.

"I hear you," muttered Rick as he glanced over at Senior's office, "He's in a raw mood today too…snapped at Vinnie just before you came in."

Brooke raised an eyebrow at that, "He never snaps at Vinnie…damn, he must really be pissed off."

Rick sneered, "His fault…he's the one who made us all not sleep. He's like a freaking grizzly bear that just woke up from hibernation a month early."

"Wonderful," muttered Brooke as she and Rick walked over to where Vinnie was gearing up to start assembling the bike.

"Hey, Vin," greeted Brooke as she gave her friend a hug, "Heard you got reamed this morning…sorry bout that."

"Happens," muttered Vinnie with a shrug.

"When are we getting the painted parts?" asked Rick as he studied the bike.

"In about two hours," replied Vinnie, "So we gotta get some of these things here on the bike until then."

"That'll only take an hour tops," said Brooke.

"I know…go slow," said Vinnie with a sigh, "I don't feel like getting yelled at again. If he sees us not working he'll come out here and scream and yell again. Just act like you're busy."

"This is ridiculous," grumbled Brooke as she moved to help Vinnie.

"Crap," said Rick after a moment, "I left my Snap On wrench in the office."

"I'll get it," offered Brooke as she turned and walked out of the shop.

Brooke walked down the long hallway that led to the office area of OCC. The muffled sounds of yelling caught her off guard. She froze and leaned towards the door of the design office, trying to make out who it was and what they were saying.

"You just…it's not the same anymore!" shouted a very distraught Paul Teutul Jr.

"What the hell does that even mean?" screamed Whitney in her high-pitched, whiny voice.

"It means just what I said! It doesn't feel right! It's like you…you aren't putting any effort into it anymore!"

"Well I'm sorry that making love to me is such a drag for you!" cried Whitney.

"That's not what I said and you know it!" roared Junior, "Stop twisting my words, Whitney! You know as well as I do that something isn't right…it hasn't been right for awhile. Who the hell are we kidding here?"

"What do you want me to do about it then?" said Whitney, sobbing, "I love you Paul…I don't know what else you want from me."

Junior sneered at that, "Look I got work to do…I'll call you later and we'll talk more alright?"

Brooke moved to the slide quickly as the door opened. Paul glanced down at her in surprise, his eyes flashing with anger for a brief second.

"How long were you there?" he demanded angrily.

Brooke swallowed nervously, her blue eyes wide, "Um…long enough…are you okay?"

Paul's eyes darkened with fury, "Stay the hell out of my business, you got that?"

Brooke flinched but her eyes hardened with anger, "What the hell, Paul? I was just asking if you were okay!"

Paul turned around and stomped down the hallway. He threw open the door that led to the shop and slammed it shut behind him.

Brooke stood in the hallway, her mouth hanging open in shock and disbelief. What the hell had she done now? All she did was overhear a conversation…

Just then, Whitney walked out of the office, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. She took one look at Brooke and her eyes flashed with anger.

"Happy now?" she snapped, "Maybe you and Paul can finally be together because apparently I'm not good enough for him!"

"What the hell?" shouted Brooke in exasperation, "You people are all insane!"

Whitney's eyes were wide with surprise at Brooke's sudden explosion of anger and the wild light that gleamed in the young woman's eyes as she stalked down the hallway.

Brooke went back into the shop, casting an infuriated look in Paul's direction as she retreated to where Rick was working on one of the production bikes. She wanted to help Vinnie finish up the West Marine bike but there was no way in hell she was going to work anywhere near Paul Jr. if she didn't have to.

"Whoa," said Rick, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he studied the look on Brooke's face, "What's going on?"

"I went to get your damn wrench and ended up overhearing something I wasn't supposed to," muttered Brooke as she reached for the welding torch.

Rick narrowed his eyes at that, "What'd you overhear?"

"An argument…Paul and Whitney aren't doing well and they both hate me for some reason," she grumbled as she put on her mask.

Rick looked away as Brooke turned on the torch and started welding part of the gas tank together. Brooke flipped open her mask to take a look at her weld and glanced up at Rick. He was gazing over at Paul with a nervous and almost scared look on his face. Brooke frowned at that.

"What's your problem?" she asked, "It's not like they're upset with you or anything…it's me they don't like."

Rick forced a smile onto his face, "Nah who couldn't like you? You're too damn beautiful not to like."

Brooke felt herself blush under Rick's praise, "Oh, shut up Rick," she said sheepishly, "Here, hold this tank together so I can weld it."

Rick obeyed and averted his gaze as Brooke fired up the welding torch. He cast another anxious glance in Paul's direction, his eyes dark and thoughtful as he contemplated what Brooke had told him.

"There, that should do it," said Brooke as she inspected the gas tank, "Not too shabby if I don't say so myself!"

"Beautiful as always," said Rick as he gave Brooke a fond smile.

Brooke just rolled her eyes, "Okay…now get that oil tank over here, Ricky. We're halfway done with this puppy…"

…

Brooke walked back into OCC after her lunch break and walked down the long hallway of offices. She scrunched herself up against the far wall as she passed the design office and made a bee-line for the door that led to the shop.

"Brooke!"

Brooke felt her blood turn to ice and her heart skipped a beat when she heard Paul Jr. call her name from the design office. She cursed under her breath as she turned back around and stepped hesitantly inside.

"Yeah?"

"Come here," said Paul, not looking up from his sketch.

Brooke swallowed nervously as she walked into the room.

"Take a seat."

She pulled up a nearby chair and sat down slowly, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she waited for Paul to talk. A good minute went by before Paul finally put down his pencil and turned to look at her.

"If this is about earlier," said Brooke, her eyes anxious, "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have listened in. You're right; it's none of my business."

"No it's not," agreed Paul, his voice unusually calm and composed, "But I probably shouldn't have snapped at you like I did. I'm sorry for that."

Brooke's eyes grew wide with shock, "Wow…um…yeah sure, no worries."

"Good," answered Paul with a sigh, "And I'd appreciate it if you kept this between you and me. The details of my love life shouldn't be known to the entire shop, okay?"

"Yeah, no problem," replied Brooke, her racing heart slowing down in relief.

"Oh, and another thing," said Paul, "I was wondering…why do you always cover for me?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "Um…what do you mean?"

"Whenever I'm late or with Whitney you always cover for me," explained Paul, looking rather perplexed as he studied Brooke, "It doesn't make sense. It's not like we're best friends or anything."

Brooke smirked at that, "Yeah, I know. But…it's better if Senior doesn't get all worked up. When you two go at it like you do it tends to mess up the shop and ruins the mood for the rest of us. To be honest it really sucks. That and I know if it was me I'd want someone to cover for me."

Paul smirked, "Yeah cept you'd never do any of the things I do," he said, his voice taking on a slightly sad note, "You're a good person, Brooke…thank you."

Brooke looked completely shocked as she gazed back at Paul, "Um…yeah, sure, anytime."

Paul smiled at that as he gazed at Brooke. The tension between the two became palpable in a matter of seconds as their eyes locked. Brooke felt a sudden wave of heat overwhelm her and she blinked in surprise at her body's reaction to Paul's steady, brown gaze. She was losing it…she had to be. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and laughed awkwardly.

"Um, I better go finish helping Ricky with that bike," she said as she stood up to leave.

"You and Rick…you two are awfully close," muttered Paul.

Brooke smirked, "Yeah he's like the closest friend I've ever had."

"You sure that's all it is?"

Brooke looked rather taken aback by the accusation in Paul's eyes. She shook her head in bewilderment.

"What? Yeah of course, why?"

Paul shrugged, "I dunno…the way he looks at you sometimes suggests you two are more than friends."

The startled look in Brooke's eyes told Paul that the young woman had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. For some strange reason that made him feel…better. It was as if he were glad to see that the two fabricators were nothing more than friends. The realization bothered him deeply as he waited for Brooke to respond.

"What? No…no he's my friend. He's overly protective but it's more like he's being a big brother than anything else," said Brooke, her brow furrowed in confusion by this unexpected line of questioning.

Paul shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant, "Okay…just curious. Better get out there and help him before Senior gets mad that we both aren't doing anything."

Brooke just nodded numbly and turned to leave. Her head was swimming with confusion and disbelief as she walked back over to help Rick. The excited smile on his face made her wonder if there was any truth to what Paul had said. She mentally kicked herself for that. There was no way Rick liked her in any way other than as a friend or a sister. Paul was just being nosy and trying to get under her skin. But it wasn't just the fact that Paul asked her about her relationship with Rick that bothered her so much. The fact that he had looked so…relieved when she had said no was surprising. Why would he care who she did or didn't date?

"Everything okay?" asked Rick as he studied Brooke's face.

"Um, yeah," said Brooke, forcing a smile, "Paul…just confuses me sometimes."

Rick raised an eyebrow at that, "What do you mean?"

"He…he apologized for snapping at me this morning," she said, not meeting Rick's searching gaze, "And he was just being, nice for some reason. It's weird. He's so bipolar."

Rick smirked a little at that but his eyes betrayed the worry he felt at Brooke's words. He flipped down his mask and started welding the oil tank so that Brooke wouldn't catch the worried gleam in his eyes. After all that had gone on in the shop over the past couple of days the last thing he wanted was for Brooke to start worrying about him…after all, he could take care of himself…

_I'll tell you now you can't win this  
You're way too slow  
I'll tell you now I'm gonna take this  
Did you come here to watch me, watch me burn?  
I'll let it show that I'm not always hiding  
Come all the way down  
And watch me burn  
I won't let it show that I'm not always flying  
So on the way down  
I'll watch you burn  
So let me know just how to take this  
You're way to cold  
Now show me how before it breaks me  
Did you come here to watch me, watch me burn?_

PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. Love the Way You Lie

_Disclaimer: I own no one besides Brooke! Sadly lol…and the title and lyrics in this chapter are from a song sung by Eminem and Rhianna_

Love the Way You Lie

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
But that's alright because I like the way it hurts  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
But that's alright because I love the way you lie  
I love the way you lie…_

Early the next morning Brooke walked into the shop to find it completely empty. She frowned as she glanced around the room. Rick usually always beat her to work. It had been an inside joke between the two best friends that they both didn't have lives so they came to work early but Rick was always there long before she ever set foot in the door. It was strange how quiet the place was.

Brooke decided to check the office to see if Rick was in there working on a design or getting some coffee. As she walked down the hall the sounds of moaning and screams of pleasure made her pause in mid-step. She cringed as she realized that the sounds were that of love-making.

"Damn it, Junior," she muttered under her breath, "Why can't he keep it in his pants at work for crying out loud?"

Brooke paused for a moment as she contemplated that. Why would Paul be here at six in the morning with his girlfriend? Why wouldn't they be back at his place at this hour? After all, it wasn't like Paul ever came in early or anything.

"Oh, Ricky!"

The blood in Brooke's veins froze when she recognized the voice moaning her best friend's name. It wasn't possible…it couldn't be true…no way in hell was this happening right now. But as she stood in the hallway, frozen in horror, the moaning and the cries of pleasure were unmistakable…it was Rick and Whitney.

…

About an hour later, Rick sauntered into the shop and made his way over to where Brooke was finishing up one of the production bikes.

"Hey you," he crooned as he went to put an arm around Brooke.

Brooke shied away from his arm, shooting Rick an infuriated and disgusted glare. Rick's brow furrowed in confusion at Brooke's negative response but before he could ask what was wrong, the door opened and Paul Jr. walked into the shop.

"Yo, guys we gotta new theme bike!" he announced, "We're having a meeting in like two minutes so everyone clean up and get in here!"

Brooke moved away from Rick as quickly as she could and made her way into the large front office where the crew held the meetings for their theme bikes. Paul Senior, Paul Junior, Mikey and Vinnie were already there waiting for the rest of the crew to file in. Brooke stood against the wall, her eyes glued to the floor as she waited for the meeting to commence. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she contemplated what had happened that morning. What she knew had the potential to destroy relationships and maybe even seriously hurt OCC itself. That burden was weighing down on her already and she wasn't sure what to do.

"Alright!" said Paul Senior once everyone was in the room, "Coca-Cola wants us to do a bike for them so we gotta get started on a design. Basically here's what they want…"

Rick was standing on the other side of the room, only half-listening to what Senior was telling the crew. His eyes were locked on Brooke, trying desperately to make eye-contact with her. He wondered what in the world could have upset her so much. He didn't remember saying anything that could have hurt her…but then again she was a girl and girls were easily hurt and offended.

Paul Jr. was looking at Brooke with a worried expression on his face. She looked pale and very nervous as she leaned up against the far back wall with her arms folded tightly against her chest. Her eyes were glued to the floor and she stood perfectly still as Senior told the crew what they were to do with the new bike. Paul glanced around the room and saw that Rick was studying Brooke intensely, his eyes worried and confused as he waited for her to look up. Paul narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he glanced between the two. Something had definitely happened earlier between them to cause Brooke to be so distraught. This surprised Paul…the two fabricators were inseparable; they never fought or got upset with each other.

"Alright get to work!" ordered Senior as the crew began to file out of the office.

Rick made a bee-line for Brooke and grabbed her arm. Brooke wrenched her arm free from his grip and glared up at him.

"Brooke, what the hell?" asked a very hurt-looking Rick.

"Just stay away from me," growled Brooke.

"What'd I do?" insisted Rick, his eyes glinting with fear and nervousness, "Please talk to me, Brooke…come on, what'd I do? I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you if I said something wrong. Just tell me and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make it right."

Brooke looked up immediately at that and stared intently into Rick's eyes. After a moment she replied, "You promise? You'll do anything to make it right?"

"I promise," said Rick, fervently.

Brooke narrowed her eyes as she lowered her voice to barely a whisper, "Fine…then stop sleeping with Paul's girlfriend."

Rick felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He took a startled step backward and felt the color drain from his face. How in the world did she know? How did she find out? Then the realization hit him like an anvil. She must have gotten to the shop earlier than normal…she must have gone looking for him when she didn't see him in the shop…and she must have heard what was going on in their office.

Brooke saw the horrified look in Rick's eyes and sneered in disgust as she turned to walk away.

"Brooke! Wait!" choked out Rick, "Can…can I talk to you outside?"

Paul Jr. was watching the exchange from a distance. The infuriated look in Brooke's eyes and the shocked, almost sick-like look on Rick's face was making him itch with curiosity to know what was being said. He watched as Brooke turned and made her way out the door with Rick following nervously at her heels. Paul frowned as he stood up to go back in the shop. Whatever was going on between those two it defiantly wasn't good…

…

"How could you?" shouted Brooke once they were outside in the parking lot, "How the hell could you do this to him?"

"Brooke, please listen," begged Rick.

"No! There's nothing you can say that could possibly justify what you're doing!" shouted Brooke, angry tears falling down her cheeks, "Damn it Rick! What the hell are you thinking?"

"I love her, Brooke!" shouted Rick, causing Brooke to pause in her tirade, "I…I love her. I know it's not right, okay? I get it…but I love her."

Brooke gaped in astonishment, "What the hell? Does…does she feel this way about you?"

Rick looked away, "Um…I don't know. I mean she likes me."

"Obviously," sneered Brooke as she rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Look, I know it's bad…I know its wrong…"

"Then why do it?" snapped Brooke, "Do you have any idea what this'll do to him? If Paul ever knew what you two were doing it would destroy him!"

"That's why you're not going to tell him," said Rick, his eyes taking on an intense gleam, "Right?"

Brooke stared up at Rick, her eyes glazed over as she thought about her options. If she told Paul then he would be heartbroken, Rick would be fired and OCC would lose their head fabricator. Losing Rick was more than just losing a friend for Brooke…it would mean that OCC would have to suffer until they could find a new replacement fabricator.

"No…no I'm not gonna say anything," said Brooke with a heavy sigh.

Rick relaxed instantly, "Thank you."

Brooke's blue eyes turned to ice, "I'm not staying silent for _you_," she clarified as she glared at him, "I'm not saying anything because I know what it would do to Paul and potentially do to OCC. But Rick…he's going to find out eventually. You can't keep secrets like this forever."

Rick's eyes flashed with fear as he looked away, "Yeah…I know."

Brooke shook her head sadly, "Damn it Rick…you're my best friend. What the hell were you thinking getting involved with Junior's girlfriend? You've put us both in a really, really bad position."

"I know…I'm sorry you found out, Brooke…I never wanted you to get involved in this," said Rick, his eyes moist with sadness, "I just…I really do care a lot about her."

"And it doesn't bother you that she's with Paul too?" asked Brooke with a disgusted look on her face, "You're sharing her, you do realize that?"

Rick looked away, "Yeah…it sucks. I wish she'd break up with him already. It's not like either of them are all that happy anyway."

"And what would happen if they broke up, Rick?" asked Brooke, beginning to get frustrated again, "She would come running into your arms and everything would be all happily ever after for you two? You do realize that if that were to happen and you were to start dating Whitney officially that you'd be fired in like two seconds right?"

Rick smirked, "Yeah…I know but it'd be worth it."

Brooke shook her head in bewilderment, "Just when you think you know a guy…this is just…so unlike the Rick I thought I knew."

Rick frowned at that, "I'm still the same old guy, Brooke."

"No, Rick you aren't…at least not the same one I thought you were," she replied, her eyes taking on a sad and hurt look, "I can't be friends with someone who's involved in what you're involved in…I can't condone this kind of behavior. So…just stay away from me okay? I'll work with you if I have to but that's it…I just can't be around you right now."

Rick reacted as if she had punched him. He flinched at her words but nodded, "Um…yeah…I understand."

"Good," said Brooke curtly as she turned to go back inside, "Then we'd better get back to work on the Coca-Cola bike."

Rick sighed sadly as he followed Brooke back into the shop. His heart felt as if it had just been broken in two. It was bad enough that he had to share Whitney…the girl he had fallen in love with and wanted so desperately, but now he had just lost his closest and dearest friend. There was no way in the world that Brooke would ever respect him the way she used to…not now that she knew his secret.

As Brooke made her way back into the shop, she made eye-contact with Paul Jr. He gave her a curious look as she made her way over to where he and Vinnie were discussing what they were going to do for the tank on the Coca-Cola bike.

"Hey, you alright?" asked Vinnie as Brooke stood next to him and glanced at the drawings on the table.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Brooke, forcing a smile as she glanced up at Paul.

Paul narrowed his eyes as he studied her but didn't press the issue. Rick walked over to the group, casting anxious glances in Brooke's direction. Paul glanced back and forth between Rick and Brooke and realized that the tension between them was actually tangible. He desperately wished he knew what was going on between the two fabricators but knew better than to ask them right then and there…he would wait until he got Brooke alone and then he would ask her about it. But for the time being they all had to put their differences aside and get to work on this new build. They only had four weeks to get this bike designed, fabricated, painted and put together in time for the reveal at Coca-Cola headquarters…

_I can't tell you what it really is  
I can only tell you what it feels like  
And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipe  
I can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight  
As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in flight  
High off of love, drunk from my hate,  
It's like I'm huffing paint and I love it the more I suffer, I suffocate  
And right before I'm about to drown, she resuscitates me  
She fucking hates me and I love it._

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
But that's alright because I like the way it hurts  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
But that's alright because I love the way you lie  
I love the way you lie…_

PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Thorn in My Side

**Hey everyone! Thank you soooooo much for all the amazing reviews! I'm really glad that a lot of people seem to like this one! I apologize for the late update. I'm back at college (in my junior year) and things are getting hectic! I have three tests this coming week so this may be the only chance I'll get to update for a while but no worries, I'm constantly writing in my journal and jotting ideas down in my more boring classes lol : ) Enjoy the update! **

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke. The title of this chapter and the lyrics are by Bon Jovi.**

Thorn in My Side

_Thorn in my side  
You're always there  
Just to remind me  
That I still care  
Thorn in my side  
You won't let me go  
Right there beside me  
To let me know  
I've been pushed around  
Been knocked down  
Lost a round or three  
Life took a couple of things I loved  
When I was too blind to see  
But I'll survive  
I gave up on luck but I'm still getting by  
Yeah I'm going to be alright  
You can test my faith  
But you can't take my pride  
Thorn in my side_

Brooke walked into the shop a little before seven the next morning. Vinnie and Rick were already there discussing the design and steps they would need to take in the fabrication part of the Coca-Cola bike. They both looked up when they heard Brooke enter the shop. Brooke avoided eye-contact with Rick as she walked over to them and tossed her bag onto one of the nearby work benches.

Rick frowned as he studied Brooke's strained face and the dark circles underlining her eyes. Since she had discovered his dark secret the morning before, Brooke had been avoiding him at all cost. She had not answered any of his calls or text messages and Rick was beginning to fear that he had done some permanent damage to their friendship. A wave of nausea overwhelmed him at the very thought of losing Brooke. That thought alone absolutely terrified him.

Rick was not the only one to notice the changes in Brooke that morning. Vinnie gave Brooke a concerned look as she turned around to face them.

"Rough night?" asked Vinnie.

Brooke sneered, "Yeah something like that," she muttered as she cast a glare in Rick's direction.

Rick visibly flinched under her accusing glare and prayed that Vinnie hadn't noticed the brief exchange.

"Anyway," said Brooke, tearing her angry gaze away from Rick, "What are we doing first with this bike?"

"Senior said that you and I are working on the handle bars and the exhaust," answered Vinnie with a yawn, "Junior is gonna be here later to help us out with the overall design…well whenever he decides to show up I guess. Rick's gonna work on formulating a few ideas for the gas tank and we can just try and come up with some options for Paulie to choose from I guess."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Great so basically we're gonna be sitting here doing Paul's job until this afternoon."

Vinnie smirked in amusement, "Yeah pretty much."

"I have an even better idea," said Senior as he stalked into the shop, "How about you guys clean up this damn shop? It's a freaking pig-pen in here!"

"Here we go," muttered Vinnie under his breath. Brooke just nodded slightly in agreement as they braced themselves for the explosion of anger that was sure to occur.

"Vinnie I told you two weeks ago that you're in charge of keeping this place clean!" roared Senior as he went into another one of his tangents, "Does it look clean to you? Here, let me answer that for you: hell no!"

Brooke frowned as she watched Vinnie hang his head a little under Senior's rage. To her it did not seem very fair to expect for one of the main fabricators in the shop to be able to have the time to keep the shop clean. But Senior didn't seem to care or be bothered by that fact as he continued to berate Vinnie in front of the whole crew.

"Start cleaning this damn place now till Paulie gets in then you can finish it up this evening," barked Senior, "You're not leaving till this place looks like a freaking hospital!"

Senior stormed off back to his office and slammed the door shut behind him. Vinnie winced at the angry sound and cursed angrily as he slammed his tools down on the table.

Brooke frowned in sympathy and walked over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'll help," she said quietly, "I'll stay with you till this place is cleaned up."

Vinnie sighed and gave Brooke a grateful and relieved look, "You don't have to do that."

"Of course I do," protested Brooke, "I'm your friend…it's the right thing to do."

Rick glanced over at Brooke as she said that. He swallowed nervously when he saw the hurt and angry look in her eyes. He knew that what she had said to Vinnie had a double meaning behind it…a double meaning that unnerved him and sent pangs of guilt through his stomach.

Just as Brooke and Vinnie began to clean the shop, the door opened and Paul Jr. walked into the shop, sighing wearily as he sauntered over to them.

"Great," muttered Vinnie, "Of course he'd show up on time today."

Brooke sighed, "Yeah…guess we'll have to finish the cleaning after-hours then. It's gonna be a long night."

"Yippee," replied Vinnie sarcastically.

"What are you ladies up to this morning?" asked Paul as he patted Vinnie on the shoulder.

"Waiting for you," grumbled Vinnie, "What the hell do you think we're doing?"

Paul raised a surprised eyebrow at that, "Eesh…what's eating you guys?"

Brooke just shot Paul a glare and shook her head, "You don't wanna know…can we just get to work so we can get this stuff done? I'd rather your father not come out here and yell at us again anytime soon."

"He started yelling already?" asked Paul, looking very displeased to hear that, "Wonderful…what the hell did you guys do?"

"Nothing," snapped Vinnie, "Apparently the shop isn't as clean as a hospital so Senior is making me stay late to clean up…it sucks."

"I'm gonna stay and help," said Brooke, "So Vin doesn't have to stay here all night…he's got a wife and kids he doesn't need to stay any later than necessary."

Vinnie gave Brooke a grateful smile. He was glad Senior had hired the young, intense woman. She stood up for what was right and didn't take anyone's crap ever. She also was an amazing friend…she was the kind of friend everyone wanted. She never let you down and was always there to help in any way she could.

Paul nodded, "Alright…well let's get to work on this thing. Dad's gonna start yelling again if he looks out his window and sees us all standing around here talking."

…

Soon four o'clock rolled around and everyone started gathering their stuff to leave the shop for the night. Vinnie, on the other hand, got an empty bucket and began to fill it with water and soap to mop down the floor of the shop and Brooke went off in search of a mop and broom.

Rick glanced up when he saw Brooke walk by him. She didn't even glance in his direction as she went into the back of the shop to dig out the cleaning supplies. Rick glanced around the shop to make sure that no one was paying him any attention and then turned to follow her.

Brooke heard the shuffling of footsteps behind her and turned around to see who was following her. She blinked in surprise when she saw it was Rick. Her gaze hardened instantly as she turned away from him.

"Brooke," said Rick, in a desperate tone, "Please talk to me…I hate this. I hate not talking to you. I miss you."

Brooke's jaw clenched as a myriad of emotions overwhelmed her, "Then you shouldn't have done what you did…or rather _are_ doing."

Rick glanced away and sighed, "Brooke…come on. I can't help how I feel."

"But you can control it!" argued Brooke as she whirled around to face him, her blue eyes flashing with anger, "No one made you sleep with Whitney! No one forced you to do anything with her. You did that on your own Rick. You're betraying one of your closest friends. Imagine what Paul would do if he knew. He'd be devastated and hurt but then he'd go hunt you down and make you pay for what you've done. You'd be fired immediately and you would ruin every single relationship you've ever made with anyone at OCC. You sure she's worth all that?"

Rick didn't answer. He just shook his head and gave Brooke a scared and overwhelmed look, "I…I don't know what to do, Brooke. What the hell do I do?"

"She doesn't love you, Ricky," said Brooke, lowering her voice, "If she did she would leave Paul and go to you but she hasn't done that and I don't think she ever will. She likes the challenge, the adrenaline rush of the whole thing. She's a whore to put it simply…she's not good for you or Paul but for some reason Paul really cares about her. You should respect those boundaries, Rick."

"Yeah…I know," said Rick sadly, "I…I just…I don't want to lose you Brooke. You're my best friend."

Brooke sighed, "Rick you'll never lose me…I just have trouble accepting the fact that you're doing this. You're going to destroy Paul. It's like watching a car wreck. I know everything is gonna come colliding together and that everything is going to be absolute chaos but I can't stop it. I feel horrible for not saying something to Paul…and I think that would be the right thing to do but I don't want to lose you either, Rick. Damn it you've really complicated everyone's life here."

Rick felt a stab of guilt and looked away. He nodded numbly, "I know…I'm so sorry, Brooke. I really am."

Brooke just shook her head, "Um, okay well I have to help Vin so he can get home to his wife and kids. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rick nodded, his heart feeling like it was being ripped in two, as he turned and left the room. He made a bee-line for the shop door and jumped into his truck. He wanted to get away from OCC so bad that it literally hurt. Being at OCC made him feel dirty…guilty…and alone. He heard his phone go off and glanced down at the caller I.D. He smiled a little to himself when he saw who it was…Whitney…

…

"You alright?" asked Vinnie about an hour later, "You've been really out of it since yesterday. What's going on?"

Brooke sighed wearily, wishing desperately that she could tell Vinnie what she knew but she didn't want to burden him with Rick's dark secret. It was miserable knowing what she knew and she wouldn't wish that feeling on even her worst enemy.

"Have you ever found something out that you weren't supposed to know?" she asked with a sigh.

Vinnie looked up and narrowed his eyes, "Like what?"

"Like…a secret. Like your friend was doing something they shouldn't and you know it's going to hurt people but you can't betray your friend and tell the secret yet at the same time you know it would probably be the right thing to tell the secret."

Vinnie paused for a moment as he tried to absorb what Brooke was trying to tell him.

"How bad is this secret?" he asked as they mopped the shop floor.

"Bad…very bad," said Brooke, darkly, "I mean…this thing could affect a lot of people in a very bad way. And I don't want to tell anyone cause I know what's gonna happen if I do but at the same time if I stay quiet it's only going to get worse. I just…I don't know what's the right thing to do right now. Do I betray my friend and give up the secret or do I stay quiet and maintain my friendship?"

"If it's going to affect a lot of people in a bad way then you should probably say something," said Vinnie, suddenly looking very worried, "This has to do with Rick doesn't it?"

Brooke's blood ran cold and she felt the blood drain from her face. How did Vinnie know? Had he guessed? Maybe he knew what was going on? But how? She spun around to face Vinnie and gave him a bewildered look.

"How…how'd you know?"

Vinnie sighed as he sat down the mop, "I'm not exactly blind," he said quietly, "I saw how tense you two were today. Rick looks like crap and you look like you want to rip off his head."

Brooke sneered at that, "Yeah…something like that."

"So…what's going on?" pressed Vinnie, "What's the secret?"

"I…I can't tell you that Vinnie," said Brooke, looking away, "I don't want to put you in the same position that I'm in."

"Brooke, you stayed behind to help me clean the shop," said Vinnie, "You took one for the team. You were a good friend to me…you went above the call of duty to help me out so let me do the same for you. You shouldn't have to bear this burden alone. Maybe I can help you? Or at the very least I could just be here so you can have someone to talk to about it."

"Are you sure?" asked Brooke, fidgeting with her dark black hair, "It's pretty intense stuff."

"I can handle it…trust me," said Vinnie, "I know how to keep a secret."

Brooke nodded. She took a deep breath before she told Vinnie what she had discovered the other day when she came to work early. She told him all about the conversations she and Rick had had since that morning and how confused and bewildered she was by the whole ordeal.

Vinnie gave a long, low whistle, his eyes wide with shock as Brooke finished her story. He shook his head sadly and took off his baseball hat, running his hand through his hair as he absorbed the information.

"Wow…I can't believe Rick would be that stupid," said Vinnie, looking absolutely shocked, "How the hell…why? Just why?"

Brooke shook her head, looking at a loss for words, "I have no idea, Vin. But I feel like I'm losing my best friend. I'm so scared…I don't know what to do. I mean what about Paul? He has no clue that Rick is sleeping with his girlfriend. What do I do, Vin?"

"You have to tell him," said Vinnie quietly, "That's all you can do, Brooke but you have to tell him. If you don't then this is gonna come back to bite you too. Rick won't be the only one getting fired if they find out that you knew this whole time. That and it's the right thing to do…Paul deserves to know."

Brooke nodded, her heart breaking as she heard the truth she had known all along, "So I have to let go of Ricky…"

Vinnie nodded, his eyes glassy with sadness, "Yeah…you have to let him go, Brooke. You have to tell Paulie…"

…

_Thorn in my side  
You're always there  
Just to remind me  
That I still care  
Thorn in my side  
You won't let me go  
Right there beside me  
To let me know…_

…

PLEASE REVIEW!


	6. The Truth Comes Out

**Got a little more time to write yesterday and this morning so I thought I'd update again since I'll have such a crazy-busy week coming up. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I own no one besides my OC Brooke. The lyrics in this chapter are by Guns N' Roses.**

The Truth Comes Out

_Oh baby, pretty baby  
Oh honey, you let me down honey  
I ain't playin' childhood games  
no more  
I said it's time for me  
to even the score  
So stake your claim,  
your claim to fame  
But baby call another name  
When you feel the fire,  
and taste the flame…_

Brooke entered the shop the next morning, trembling with fear as she approached the area where the Coca-Cola bike frame was sitting on the lift. Vinnie was welding some pieces of the exhaust together and Rick was at the back of the shop working on a production bike. Paul Jr. was nowhere in sight and Brooke let out a shaky breath of relief.

Vinnie looked up when he heard Brooke approach. He frowned a little when he saw the scared look on her face.

"Hey," he said quietly, "So…you gonna do it?"

Brooke hesitated for a moment, her heart stuttered at the thought. She steeled herself and took a deep breath, "Yeah…yeah I will. Where is he?"

"Haven't seen him yet," replied Vinnie as he walked over to Brooke and put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a little comforting squeeze, "You're doing the right thing. I know right now it probably doesn't feel that way and you feel like you're betraying Rick, but seriously in the long run…this is what's best…for everyone involved."

Brooke nodded as she wiped a stray tear off of her cheek. She felt like such a terrible person at that moment. She knew that she was betraying Rick but at the same time what Rick was doing was horribly wrong and could very well destroy the company itself. And now that Vinnie knew what was going on that was one more person who didn't need to be involved with this whole mess. Rick was just going to have to deal with the consequences of his actions.

"Why's everyone standing around and doin' nothing?" asked Paul Jr. as he entered the shop.

"This coming from the guy who's always late!" joked Vinnie as Paul pretended to attack his best friend.

Brooke smirked a little at their antics as Vinnie cried out in terror. Mikey came barreling out of the office and jumped on Paul's back, trying to defend Vinnie. Paul cried out in surprise and turned around to go after his little brother. Mikey screamed and started running when Paul picked up a metal pipe and held it over his head like he was going to smash Mikey with it. Vinnie laughed hysterically at the sight as Mikey made a bee-line for the far side of the shop where Rick was working. Rick just raised an eyebrow in surprise and laughed as Mikey hid behind him.

Just then, the door opened and Whitney came flouncing into the shop, her shrill voice calling out Paul's name.

Brooke froze and cast an anxious look in Vinnie's direction. The two friends shared worried looks as they watched Paul and Whitney hug each other. Sharing the terrible secret with Paul was going to have to wait now.

Brooke glanced over at Rick and saw the pained expression on her best friend's face as he watched the happy little reunion. Rick turned his back on the sight to hide the emotion on his face. It pained Brooke to see Rick hurting like that. Even though what Rick was doing with Whitney was incredibly wrong, it was so hard to see him suffer. Brooke had thought at one point in time that there was no way she could dislike Whitney anymore than she already did…but she was oh so wrong. She hated Whitney with a passion. That whore was destroying everything.

"Hey Brooke," crooned Whitney as she cast a snotty look in Brooke's direction.

Brooke's jaw tightened with anger as she glanced over her shoulder, "Whitney," she said coolly as she kept working.

Whitney just rolled her eyes at Brooke and turned back to kiss Paul. Brooke felt her patience slipping. The thought of screaming the secret out loud in the shop in that moment was just way too tempting. Vinnie saw the look on Brooke's face and shook his head sharply, warning her with his eyes to stay quiet. Brooke forced herself to take a deep breath and refrained. Instead she started beating some sheet metal to form part of the oil tank for the bike. It felt good to hit _something_ at least.

…

Later that afternoon Paul Jr. sauntered into the shop, the same stupid grin plastered on his face. Brooke felt sick just looking at him. She didn't even want to think about what had happened the past two hours. It made her nauseous.

Vinnie gave Brooke a pointed look and jutted his head in Paul's direction, trying to urge her to speak up and get it over with. Brooke's eyes widened with panic but she forced herself to remain calm. With her heart thudding in her chest, she cleared her throat to get Paul's attention.

"Um, Paul?"

Paul turned around to look at her, "Yeah?"

"Can…can I have a word with you?"

"Um, yeah sure what's up?" asked Paul as he walked over to Brooke. He looked a little surprised that she wanted to talk to him. They never got along and tried to not speak to one another if they could avoid it.

"Can…can we talk in your office…alone?" stammered Brooke, her nervous blue eyes betraying the fear that was growing in the pit of her stomach.

Now Paul suddenly looked rather nervous. He glanced over at Vinnie and gave him a questioning look but Vinnie just looked away and avoided eye-contact with Paul.

"Um, yeah okay…come on back I guess," said Paul as he turned to lead Brooke back to his office.

Rick watched the exchange with a panicked look on his face. Brooke following Paul to his office with a worried look on her face just didn't sit well with him. He glanced over at Vinnie and frowned when he saw the stressed expression on his friend's face. What in the world was going on?

…

"So…what's up?" asked Paul as he settled down in his swivel chair behind his desk.

Brooke sat down, trembling as she settled into the seat across from Paul. Paul studied her for a moment while she tried to gather the remnants of courage she had left. She looked petrified. Paul frowned at that, wondering what in the world had gotten Brooke so riled up. She looked like she hadn't slept for a week and her eyes were wide and bright with fear as glanced nervously up at him. She had such piercing blue eyes…they unnerved him.

"Um…I have to tell you something, but it's not going to be easy to hear," she said, a thick warning in her voice.

Paul's eyes narrowed at that, "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Okay…please don't hate me after I tell you this," began Brooke, "I mean…I know we have our differences Paul but I really respect you and I love working for you."

Paul nearly choked on his coffee when he heard that. Whatever this was had to be really serious if she was trying to tell him how much she actually liked him.

"I…I came to work early a few days ago," began Brooke as she broke off eye-contact, "And…I found out something when I was here. I guess…they weren't expecting anyone to be here so early so they figured it was safe…"

"Who?" interrupted Paul, looking confused.

Brooke took a long, shaky breath before she replied, "Rick…and Whitney."

Paul froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated that information. Brooke squirmed nervously in her chair while she waited for Paul to respond.

"What…what are you talking about?" he stammered out, his eyes hard with denial.

"They…they were in the back office. I heard…noises so I went back there to see who was here and…they were…having sex," said Brooke, the words tasting like acid in her mouth.

Paul looked like someone had just punched him in the gut. The color had drained from his face as he stared in shock at Brooke.

"Are…are you sure it was Whitney?" he said, his voice tight with emotion, "It could have been some other girl right?"

Brooke shook her head in despair, "No…it was her. I confronted Rick about it…he says he…loves her."

Paul shook his head slowly, despair and shock coursing though his body as he absorbed the news.

"I…I'm so sorry Paul," said Brooke as tears sprang to her eyes, "I was so scared…I didn't know what to do. I mean, Ricky is my best friend but what he was doing was so wrong…I just…I had to tell you I was just scared. I'm such an idiot…I should have told you earlier. I'm so sorry…I understand if you want to fire me, its okay I don't blame you."

Paul's eyes flickered slightly as he forced himself to focus on Brooke, "What? Fire you? No…no Brooke, it's not your fault. I…I don't know what I would have done."

Paul put his head in his hands for a long moment and Brooke looked down at the ground, tears of shame coursing their way down her cheeks. She had betrayed her best friend and now she was watching Paul's heart break right in front of her. It was almost too much to bear.

After a long moment, Paul looked back up, his eyes rimmed with red from a combination of silent tears and fury. The dangerous light in his eyes caused Brooke to stop breathing for a moment. She watched in horror as Paul stood up abruptly from his chair and made a bee-line for the door. He wrenched it open and stormed out into the shop.

"Oh no," muttered Brooke as she realized what Paul was about to do. She raced out of the office and followed him out into the shop.

As she burst through the door she saw Vinnie standing near the Coca-Cola bike, his eyes wide with shock and fear as he watched Paul Jr. stalk furiously across the shop. She watched as Paul approached Rick, her heart hammering loudly in her chest as she silently prayed that Paul wouldn't do anything too drastic. Part of her wanted to run screaming into the shop and hold Paul back but she knew in that moment that there was nothing that would keep Paul from doing whatever it was that he wanted to do.

Rick turned around when he heard the approaching footsteps. His eyes widened with terror as he made eye-contact with Paul. He couldn't remember ever seeing Paul look so angry. His eyes were flashing dangerously as he reached out and grabbed Rick by the collar, slamming him up against the wall.

"Paul…Paul don't," choked out Rick as Paul's hands closed like a vice around his throat.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't," snarled Paul, his teeth clenched together in fury.

Rick tried to choke out a response but Paul's grip on his neck was too strong. His eyes grew wide in panic as Paul cut off the flow of oxygen to his lungs. He could hear someone yelling and a girl screaming in fear as the light around him began to slowly grow dimmer and dimmer.

Just before Rick went unconscious, Paul dropped him. He fell to the floor, gasping and choking for air. He put his hands around his sore neck as he coughed, glancing up at Paul to make sure he wouldn't be attacked again.

Brooke and Vinnie were standing behind Paul, their eyes wide with surprise and fear as they watched Paul carefully to make sure that he really was done with Rick. The angry light in Paul's eyes began to dim and a look of despair and betrayal began to take its place. He turned around and began to storm angrily out of the shop. Just as he was about to open up the door, Whitney walked in.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," said Brooke, giving Vinnie a bewildered and disbelieving look.

Paul took one look at Whitney and instantly all the anger returned to his face. Whitney took a startled step back, her eyes wide with surprise and uncertainty.

"He knows, Whitney," called out Rick, his voice rough and strained.

Whitney gaped in shock as she glanced back and forth between Rick and Paul. Paul just sneered in disgust as he looked down at her.

"I loved you," he said, his voice tight with emotion, "I would have done _anything_ for you and this is how you repay me? By sleeping with one of my friends?"

"Paul…Paul I'm so sorry," said Whitney as tears began to fall down her cheeks, "Paul please don't…I love you!"

Paul growled in anger at that as he turned to leave, "Yeah right…stay the hell away from me. I never want to see your face again!"

The door slammed so hard it nearly fell off of its hinges. Brooke winced at the angry sound and looked over at Whitney. The girl had turned pale with horror and she trembled as she cried. Brooke felt a touch of sympathy for Whitney but it only lasted a couple seconds. This girl had just caused more damage than she would ever know. She had destroyed Brooke's best friend and one of her bosses.

Brooke's eyes grew hard as she walked over to Whitney, "I think you should leave now," she growled.

Whitney gave Brooke a startled glance before she turned to leave. As Whitney slammed the door shut behind her, Vinnie came up and put an arm around Brooke, his eyes wide with surprise and gleaming with sympathy. They both knew that the weeks ahead were going to be very hard to deal with. Rick and Paul would never be the same after this…and neither would OCC…

…

_Oh baby, pretty baby  
Oh honey, you let me down honey  
I ain't playin' childhood games  
no more  
I said it's time for me  
to even the score  
So stake your claim,  
your claim to fame  
But baby call another name  
When you feel the fire,  
and taste the flame_

Back off, back off bitch  
Down in the gutter dyin' in the ditch  
You better back off, back off bitch  
Face of an angel with the love of a witch  
Back off, back off bitch  
Back off, back off bitch

Makin' love  
Cheap heartbreaker, broken backed,  
Nasty ballbreaker, stay out of my bed, outta my head  
If it's lovin' you,  
I'm better off dead

Back off, back off bitch  
Down in the gutter dyin' in the ditch  
You better back off, back off bitch  
Face of an angel with the love of a witch  
Back off, back off bitch  
Back off, back off bitch

Emotions ripped, gone on a binge  
Life lipped, I said you're off the hinge  
Tellin' lies of such fame and glory  
I don't even wanna hear your story

Back off, back off bitch  
Down in the gutter dyin' in the ditch  
You better back off, back off bitch  
Face of an angel with the love of a witch  
Back off, back off bitch  
It's such a pity that you're such a bitch


	7. Learning to Fall

**So got tired of studying and went back to writing lol : ) three updates in one weekend while studying for 3 tests…now that's what I call multi-tasking! Lol enjoy! And thank you soooo much to everyone who has been reviewing! I really love the feedback!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one besides my OC Brooke. The lyrics and title of this chapter are by Boys Like Girls.**

Learning to Fall

After Whitney had stormed out of OCC, the shop grew eerily quiet. Everyone had stopped working when Paul had charged into the room and grabbed Rick by the throat. Now they all stood, eyes wide with shock and disbelief as they tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Rick looked sick. He was standing, hunched over as if in pain, and looking at the floor. He slowly raised himself up and shot an accusing look in Brooke's direction. Brooke flinched a little at the furious light in Rick's eyes. Her heart broke as she realized fully in that moment that her friendship with Rick was over.

"I hope you're happy," he muttered under his breath as he turned to leave.

Brooke could literally feel her heart tearing apart as Rick slammed the door shut behind him. She vaguely recalled feeling Vinnie give her a comforting squeeze and then blackness overwhelmed her…

…

"Brooke!"

Brooke moaned a little and shifted. She could hear someone yelling her name but he sounded far away. A more commanding voice yelled her name.

"Brooke, wake the hell up already!"

She blinked her eyes open at that and sat up quickly. She saw Senior squatting next to her and Vinnie sitting on her other side. She was lying on the floor of the shop with a sweatshirt under her head as a makeshift pillow. She rubbed her eyes, trying to figure out what in the world had happened…then it all came rushing back to her: telling Paul about Rick's secret, Paul going after Rick, Whitney coming in to the shop, Rick giving her a look of utter betrayal before he stormed out…she instantly felt nauseous all over again.

"Did…did I pass out?" she asked faintly.

Vinnie handed her a bottle of water as he answered her, "Yeah you did. Scared the hell outta me too, kiddo. That's what you get for not sleeping or eating for a week."

"That and what happened out here probably didn't help much either," muttered Senior, his brow furrowed in concern as he thought about what Vinnie had told him while Brooke remained passed out on the shop floor.

Brooke frowned at that, "I'm really sorry…I didn't mean for things to get this screwed up."

"Why the hell are you apologizing?" asked Senior, "You didn't do anything…you did the right thing. Whitney and Rick are the ones who should be apologizing! That whore just broke my son's heart…and Rick…damn him! I can't even believe he would do something like that."

"Where's Paul?" asked Brooke after a moment.

"He went home," answered Mikey as he walked over with some ice chips, "I called him a few minutes ago…he's not doing so well."

Senior and Mikey exchanged worried glances. Vinnie just shook his head sadly and Brooke ran a hand through her tangled black hair.

"I'm gonna go by and see him after I recover," muttered Brooke, "I want to check on him…after all I was the one who had to break the news to him. I owe him."

"You can't keep blaming yourself for this, Brooke," said Vinnie quietly, "It's seriously not your fault."

"Yeah…I know," said Brooke as she sucked on one of the ice chips, "I just…I feel responsible in a way. I mean, Rick was my best friend. My best friend just destroyed Paul's life. The least I can do is show Paul that I care and that I won't condone Rick's actions."

Senior nodded, "Yeah it might be best if she goes to see him first. Let us know how he's doing and keep us posted on everything…but only after you've eaten something and finished up at least one more bottle of water. I can't have you passing out all over the shop. It's bad enough we just lost one fabricator I can't have another one going down on me…"

…

Brooke walked slowly up the sidewalk that led to Paul's house. She rang her hands nervously as she hesitated on the front porch, her heart hammering in her chest. She hated feeling this way. She was always the tough one, the one that could handle anything and was afraid of nothing or no one. But this entire situation had completely unnerved her and left her feeling so vulnerable. She had lost a trusted friend and had revealed a secret that hurt several people involved. Despite the fact that she knew she wasn't to blame for any of it, she still felt somewhat responsible. She was involved now whether she liked it or not.

Brooke knocked lightly on the door and waited. About a minute later she knocked harder and stepped back to wait. The door cracked open hesitantly and then opened all the way, revealing a very upset and exhausted-looking Paul Jr. Brooke frowned slightly as she studied his red-rimmed eyes and messy hair. It looked like he'd been in bed most of the day trying to deal with the insanity that had exploded earlier that day.

"Brooke?" he asked in surprise, "What…what are you doing here?"

Brooke glanced away as she answered, "I came to check in on you…after what happened. I feel awful."

Paul couldn't help but smirk a little at that. He moved to the side to let Brooke inside. He watched as she walked into the living room and settled down on the forest green couch. She looked so nervous and so upset with herself. He wondered why she was blaming herself for what happened. It's not like she was the one who cheated on him or betrayed him.

"So…how are you?" she asked as he walked over and sat down next to her.

Paul sighed and shook his head, "It sucks…it really sucks. I mean…I know Whitney wasn't the best person in the world and I get why you never liked her, but I really cared about that girl."

Brooke raised an eyebrow in surprise at that, "I never hated her or anything…we just didn't really get along I guess."

Paul smirked a little, "She was always really jealous of you."

Brooke looked really startled at that, "What? Me? Why?"

"Because of how many hours we spent working together every day," said Paul with a little smile, "She always called, texted and even came by the shop just to check up on you and make sure you weren't moving in on her turf. Kind of ironic now huh?"

Brooke sneered at that and shook her head in bewilderment, "The only reason we spent so much time together is because we had to. I mean…it's not like we were ever the best of friends or anything."

Paul laughed at that, "Yeah I know…but you're pretty and you understand bikes and choppers better than she could ever dream of understanding. She was jealous that you understood what I love…and your good looks didn't really help with anything either."

Brooke felt herself blush slightly at that, "Well…I don't know about _that_ but…thanks."

Paul smiled a little, "Anytime…so, how are _you_ holding up?"

Brooke gave Paul a surprised look. How in the world could he ask how _she_ was doing? After all he was the one that just lost his girlfriend.

"Um…I've been better," she said, looking away as emotion threatened to overwhelm her, "I'm…I'm so sorry, Paul. I mean…he was my best friend. I should have seen the signs or at least figured things out earlier. I should have told you the second I found out…I shouldn't have waited as long as I did."

Paul shook his head in protest, "Brooke none of this is any of your fault. Rick was your best friend…you had a duty to protect him, I get that trust me. I'm just very grateful that you were able to get past that and tell me. That couldn't have been easy for you. You sacrificed a lot to help me out…I'll never forget that."

Brooke wiped away a tear from her eye and just nodded silently, too choked up to reply without bursting into tears…she'd already done that enough for one day.

"Has he tried to talk to you since earlier?"

Brooke shook her head, "No…after that look he gave me in the shop I'm pretty sure that he'll never speak to me again."

Paul frowned, "What happened after I left?"

"Well…Whitney left the shop, crying and throwing a temper tantrum," said Brooke, rolling her eyes at the memory, "Then Rick gave me this horrible, accusing glare and stormed out of the shop. Last thing I remembered was Vinnie putting his arm around me and then I passed out."

"Passed out?" asked Paul, suddenly looking worried for the young fabricator.

"Don't worry I'm fine," said Brooke, "It's probably because I haven't really eaten or drank anything since all this chaos started…that combined with the insanity that exploded all at once just sort of overwhelmed me I guess."

Paul shook his head sadly, "This sucks…this just…really sucks."

"Yeah…it does," said Brooke with a weary sigh, "But I want you to know that I'm here for you…if you ever want to talk or anything. I know we've never really gotten along but a lot has changed today and seeing as how I no longer have a best friend I'll have a lot more free time after I get off work so…if you ever want any company or anything just let me know."

Paul smiled warmly at Brooke, "Yeah…I'd like that a lot actually. It's probably best if I'm not alone for too long anyway. That and if I don't hang out with you I'll end up getting stuck with my brother and Dad and well…we all know how well that goes over after awhile."

Brooke smirked a little at that, "Yeah no joke."

"Well thanks for coming by, Brooke," said Paul as he stood up, "I really appreciate it…it means a lot to me."

Brooke smiled as she reached out to give Paul a hug, "Anytime."

Paul led Brooke to the door and watched as she made her way back to her bike. He smiled a little as he studied her sleek, modern-looking, stretched out chopper. They definitely had the same taste in bikes that was for sure. The red and black chopper had all the latest features and newest innovations on it. It was filled with detail and chrome accents and closely resembled the Black Widow bike Paul had designed a few years ago.

Paul watched as Brooke flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and slipped on her helmet. She stood up and kick-started the bike. As she pulled away and raced down the driveway Paul couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of his face. Brooke was more like him than he had ever remembered noticing. They had both lost a lot that day too…they would need to rely on one another a lot in the coming days and weeks as they learned to move on and figure out how to live their lives without those they had cared so deeply for…

…

_Today is the day  
The worst day of my life  
You're so content it hurts me  
I don't know why  
The cost of misery  
Is at an all time high  
I keep it hidden  
Close to the surface in sight_

Could you be with him?  
Or was it just a lie?  
He doesn't catch you like I do  
And you don't know why  
You change your clothes and your hair  
But I can't change your mind  
Oh, I'm uninvited  
So unrequited now

Words screaming in my head  
Why did you leave?  
And I can't stop dreaming  
Watching you and him  
When it should have been  
It should have been me

Today is the day  
The worst day of my life

I'm learning to fall  
I can't hardly breathe  
When I'm going down don't worry about me  
Don't try this at home  
You said you don't see  
I don't want to know that you know, it should have been me

Whoa (I'm learning to fall, I can't hardly breathe)  
(I don't want to know that you know, it should have been me)  
Tell me that you know, it should have been me)  
Whoa (Don't try this at home, You said you don't see)  
I don't want to know that you know, it should've been me  
Whoa (I'm learning to fall, I can't hardly breathe)  
(I don't want to know that you know, it should have been me)  
Tell me that you know, it should have been me  
Whoa (Don't try this at home, You said you don't see)  
I don't want to know that you know, it should've been me

…

Please Review!


	8. Broken

**This chapter is kinda short but I just wanted to update in-between studying lol : ) The rest of the week is gonna be CRAZY with homework and this was the last hour of freedom I think I'll have for awhile…oh joy lol Enjoy! And thanks to everyone who's reviewing! :D I really love the feedback!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one besides my OC Brooke and the title and lyrics in this chapter are by Lifehouse**

Broken

_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing  
With a broken heart that's still beating  
In the pain, there is healing  
In your name I find meaning  
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on  
I'm barely holdin' on to you_

Brooke walked into OCC early Monday morning and glanced around the shop. Vinnie was working away on the back fender of a production bike and the rest of the crew was gathered around discussing the Coca-Cola bike. The painted pieces were coming in that day and the assembly of the bike would begin that afternoon. Things were about to get very busy at OCC very fast.

Brooke glanced over at Rick's station and felt a pang of sadness in her heart. The memories of what had happened in the shop last Friday hit her hard. Between losing her best friend and watching Paul Jr. suffer for what Rick had done was eating her alive.

She walked over to Vinnie and sighed as she sat her bag down on the work bench. Vinnie looked up from his work and gave her a sympathetic smile as he walked around the work bench to give her a hug.

"How you holding up there kiddo?" he asked affectionately as he hugged Brooke.

Brooke shrugged, "I'm alive I guess."

"Well that's always good," joked Vinnie as he glanced away, "Don't think you're alone though…it sucks. The whole damn thing sucks. It's a lose-lose situation so it's okay to feel the way you do."

"Yeah I know," muttered Brooke, "I just wish desperately that I could turn back time…to before Rick did anything with Whitney. I wish I could have seen the signs and maybe I could have talked him out of doing something so stupid. I just…I want things to be the way they used to be."

"I hear you," agreed Vinnie, "But you know things happen for a reason. Nothing happens by chance…there's always a reason even though sometimes we can't always see it. Maybe something good can come from all of this?"

"I don't see how…but that'd be nice," said Brooke as she picked up a welding torch and moved over to help Vinnie finish up some work on the production bike.

Just then Paul Jr. walked into the shop. Brooke glanced up at him as he walked past them and over to the area where some of the crew was beginning to assemble the Coca-Cola bike. He flashed her a smile as he passed and Brooke felt herself flush a little. She was startled by her body's reaction to his greeting. She shook her head and forced herself to concentrate on her work. Things were just weird around here…that's all it was.

Vinnie noticed the little exchange and Brooke's reaction to it. He raised a surprised and amused eyebrow and nodded a little in approval. This was certainly an interesting turn of events…one he could never have predicted on his own. He silently hoped that maybe eventually something would develop between the two fabricators. They had always been at odds and butted heads but they would definitely make a good couple…Vinnie could see it in his head. He smirked at the thought as he continued to work on the bike.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Brooke after a moment.

Vinnie's grin grew wider, "Oh…nothing. Just making a few keen observations, that's all."

"About what?"

"People."

Brooke's brow furrowed in confusion, "Who?"

"Don't worry about it," replied Vinnie, still smiling to himself.

"What in the world are you talking about?" asked Brooke as she sat her welding torch down on the table and put her hand on her hip.

Vinnie recognized the stance. Brooke always stood like that when she demanded information and he knew her well enough to know that she would remain like that until she got her way. She always was a stubborn young thing…

"Paulie," he said as he studied the bike.

Brooke felt herself flush again as she looked away. Had Vinnie seen her blush?

"What about Paulie?"

Vinnie smirked when he saw Brooke getting flustered, "You know what I'm talking about."

Brooke was convinced that her face was beet-red at that moment. Vinnie's laugh confirmed that fact as he glanced over at her.

"Just to let you know," he said as he glanced up at her, "I approve."

"Oh, geez Vinnie!" hissed Brooke under her breath, "The man just got cheated on I think now is hardly the time for him to even give a woman a second glance."

Vinnie glanced over Brooke's shoulder and laughed out loud, "Funny…because that's exactly what he's doing right now."

Brooke turned around and looked over her shoulder. She felt her face flush again when she caught Paul staring in their direction. He gave her a little wave and she returned the gesture, feeling the blood in her cheeks giving her away yet again.

"And besides," continued Vinnie once he had her attention again, "I think that now is actually the perfect time for him to be giving a loyal, kind, sweet young woman a second glance. He could use someone like you in his life right now."

Brooke fidgeted nervously as she mulled that over, "I dunno, Vin. I mean…after everything that's happened, I can't really trust my feelings right now. Things are just so insane here…everything's changed. It's just so hard to juggle everything and I just don't know if I could logically think something like that through."

Vinnie laughed at that, "Trust me, Brooke…there's nothing logical about love. Stop thinking about it. He's a good guy and you're an amazing young woman, what's left to think about? Go for it."

Brooke shook her head in bewilderment, "Pushy aren't you?"

Vinnie laughed, "Only when I see something that needs to get done…I don't like to sit on things or wait for them to happen. So get a move on."

Brooke rolled her eyes and punched Vinnie in the arm playfully. She glanced back in Paul's direction and smiled when she saw him laughing with the guys. It was good to see him smile…she had a feeling that he hadn't been doing very much of that lately.

Paul glanced back over in her direction and Brooke mentally kicked herself for getting caught staring at him. Paul just smirked a little in amusement and gave her a wink before he turned back to work on the Coca-Cola bike.

"Hey whenever you're done making goo-goo eyes with Paulie I need your help."

Brooke turned and shot Vinnie a playful glare, "This coming from the guy who's practically telling me to go propose to the man."

"Yeah go for it, but on your own time," said Vinnie as he through her a playful smile, "Meanwhile stop flirting and get over here and help me with this fender."

Brooke just rolled her eyes, smiling as she helped Vinnie attach the fender to the production bike. As the day wore on Brooke found herself constantly thinking about and casting glances in Paul's direction, much to Vinnie's amusement. Perhaps her friend was right…maybe going for Paul wasn't such a bad idea. She sighed as she contemplated her reservations and fears.

The pain she felt at losing Rick was hurting her more than she let on as well. They had been close…really close in fact. So close that she was beginning to wonder if one day they would end up together. Obviously that was no longer an option…but the pain of losing him cut her like a knife. She felt as though she had gone through a breakup herself. Maybe waiting a little longer would do them both some good. Until then she would work on becoming good friends with Paul and see where that road would take them.

She sighed as she glanced back over at Paul. Part of her desperately wanted them to end up together one day…actually…a _big_ part of her desperately wanted that…

_The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight  
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time  
I am here still waiting though i still have my doubts  
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out_

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing  
With a broken heart that's still beating  
In the pain, there is healing  
In your name I find meaning  
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on  
I'm barely holdin' on to you

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head  
I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead  
I still see your reflection inside of my eyes  
That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing  
with a broken heart that's still beating  
In the pain (in the pain), is there healing  
In your name (in your name) I find meaning  
So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')  
I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hangin' on another day  
Just to see what you throw my way  
And I'm hanging on to the words you say  
You said that I will be OK

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone  
I may have lost my way now, haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing  
with a broken heart that's still beating  
In the pain(In the pain) there is healing  
In your name I find meaning  
So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),  
I'm barely holdin' on to you  


**Please Review! I love the feedback even more than the Teutuls love their bikes! : ) **


	9. Hanging by a Moment

**Thanks so much for all the fabulous reviews! Hope you are all having an amazing weekend! Enjoy the update!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke. The title and lyrics in this chapter are by Lifehouse. **

Hanging by a Moment

_One Week Later…_

The crew had finished the Coca-Cola build and were turning their attention back on the production bikes. They had gotten a little behind on those builds with all the drama that had gone on in the shop and Senior was beginning to get a little testy about that fact.

Brooke was working intently on one of the bikes when she felt someone put an arm around her shoulders. She sat down the welding torch and flipped up her mask to see who it was. She beamed happily when she saw Paul Jr. smiling back down at her.

"Hey you," he said as he studied the fender she was working on, "Whatcha up to?"

"Oh just getting some parts for the production bikes together," replied Brooke, her blue eyes sparkling, "Vinnie's been slaving away for the past week on these bikes so I figured I'd give him a hand. That and your dad really wants them done soon and what your dad says goes."

Paul smirked at that, "Yeah pretty much…so what are you doing after work today?"

Brooke felt her heart skip a beat. For the past week she and Paul had been working together and hanging out around the shop a lot more than they used to. They had laughed and flirted a little bit, much to the rest of the crew's amusement, and started going out together on their lunch breaks. Slowly but surely they were beginning to grow closer to one another and it both excited Brooke and terrified her at the same time.

"Um, nothing really," replied Brooke as she felt herself blush a little, "Why?"

"Well…if you wanted to, I'd love for you to come by my place for dinner," said Paul, suddenly looking a little nervous himself.

Brooke smiled excitedly at that, "I'd love to."

Paul sighed in relief and smiled back at her, "Awesome, I can't wait."

"Okay Romeo," said Vinnie with a big smile on his face, "Knock it off I need Brooke to concentrated on helping me out…you two go flirt later or something."

Paul punched Vinnie in the shoulder and the two immediately got into a bit of a wrestling match. Brooke side-stepped out of the way as the two friends wrestled in the middle of the shop.

Senior came out of his office to see what all the raucous was about. He was going to yell at everyone for disrupting his meeting but when he saw Paul Jr. laughing and goofing off like he used to he couldn't help but smile at the sight. He had been worried about his son since they found out what happened between Whitney and Rick. The fact that it was Brooke of all people that was making Paul's smile return to his face also made him rather happy. Brooke had suffered a loss as well when Rick lied to her then left the shop. It was good to see everyone in good spirits again.

"Alright you two," laughed Senior, "Knock it off…we got bikes to build."

Paul slipped out of Vinnie's headlock and laughed as he walked over to his area of the shop to work with some of the other guys on the production bikes. Brooke just shook her head and smirked at them in amusement as she picked up her mask and began to finish the welds on one of the gas tanks…praying that the work day would go by quickly so that she could go on her date with Paulie…

…

As the crew finished up their work for the day, Brooke felt her heart begin to race with nervousness as she thought about her date with Paul Jr. Just glancing over at him while he worked in the shop was enough to make her heart skip a beat. She had grown to love his smile and his laugh and the charming tone in his voice whenever he spoke to her. The way his eyes narrowed in concentration as he worked on a bike…the way his eyes sparkled with happiness when he looked at her…yeah the young man completely unnerved her in every way.

"You ready to go?" asked Paul Jr. as he walked up behind Brooke and put an arm around her waist.

Brooke's heart skipped a beat and the breath caught in her throat for a moment while she tried to find her voice to answer, "Um, yeah sure! Whenever you're ready to call it a day I'm ready to go."

"Alright then it's a day…now let's get the hell out of here," said Paul with a smirk as he turned to lead Brooke out of the shop.

Senior watched the two young fabricators walk out of the shop together and smiled to himself. He watched Paul walk over to his truck and open the passenger door for Brooke and helped her climb in. He nodded in approval as his son ran around the other side of the truck and hopped in, a goofy-looking grin plastered on his face. It was about time that those two went out on a date…should have happened a long time ago in Senior's opinion but at least it was happening now. Better late than never…

…

Paul pulled up to his house and hopped out of the truck, and ran to the other side to get the door before Brooke could. Brooke smiled in amusement as Paul helped her climb out of his large, black truck. He looked like a young boy who was taking a girl out for the first time…it was adorable.

They walked into the house and Paul led her to the kitchen. Brooke's eyes widened in surprise as she looked around the large, roomy space. For a guy Paul Jr. definitely had good taste in interior design. The marble countertops were sparkling and the stained oak table looked brand new. Brooke was shocked to see how nice Paul's house looked. It was definitely nothing like the bachelor pad she was expecting to discover.

"Your house is gorgeous," breathed Brooke as she sat down at the table, "Seriously Paul…this place is amazing!"

Paul beamed with pride at Brooke's praise, "Why thank you…yeah I designed it myself. Well…most of it anyway," he said, looking away, "Whitney helped a little."

Brooke glanced down at the table at the sound of Whitney's name. She felt a wave of jealousy as she thought about the bouncy, dumb-blonde. She had been in this house with Paul…she had done things with Paul…she had been in his life period and that bothered her. She knew deep down that it shouldn't bother her, after all it was all in Paul's past, but still the very thought of her being in this room flirting with Paul made her nauseous.

"So…how are you doing with that by the way?" asked Brooke after a moment. She looked up and glanced at Paul, trying to gauge his reaction.

Paul's dark eyes flickered a little and his jaw tightened up with tension as he contemplated Brooke's question and how to properly answer it.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Brooke," he said quietly, "I cared a lot about Whitney…but I have to learn to let her go. She's no longer a part of my life and from what I can tell she didn't care about me as much as I cared for her. So I have to learn to let go. It's just harder than I thought it would be. I didn't know it took this long to get over someone."

Brooke nodded in understanding, "Well it hasn't really been all that long…just a couple weeks really. And yeah I totally understand. I mean, Ricky and I weren't dating but I assumed that's where things were heading with us. We were just…so close and it was just so easy to be around each other like we were. It's hard…it's really hard realizing that it's over and that chances are we will never be the way we once were. It hurts really bad and yeah it's going to take time to get over. So I totally understand and for the record I think you're handling this better than most people would."

Paul smiled a little at that, "Thanks Brooke…I really appreciate that. I'm sorry about Rick. I know you guys were really close. If anything you're handling this better than anyone else is. I think everyone at the shop is taking it harder than the both of us really."

"That or we're both just good at hiding things," said Brooke with a sigh.

Paul nodded, "Yeah…that's true. For the record, you're helping me a lot with this. Just…being here you're helping me more than you know."

Brooke glanced up and smiled at that, "I'm glad…you're helping me too, Paul. Never thought we'd ever get along like this…but I'm really glad that we are."

"Me too," said Paul as he walked over to where Brooke was sitting.

Brooke stood up and leaned into Paul's outstretched arms. She sighed with contentment as he held her. He smelled like a mixture of oil, gasoline and cologne…it was the best scent Brooke could ever remember smelling. Paul held her there for a long moment before he spoke.

"You're amazing Brooke," he said quietly, "Absolutely amazing…if you're willing to stick with me through this, Brooke…I mean I can't make any promises…"

Brooke pulled away a little to lift her head and look Paul in the eyes, "Yes...I'll see you through this. And yeah I mean I can't make you any promises either but Paul you are the most amazing man I've ever met and I'm willing to take a chance and risk it. One day when we're both finally over all of this…if things are still the way they are now…then my answer is yes."

Paul smiled happily at that as he hugged her tighter to him. A warmth spread through him from head to toe. It was a feeling he thought he would never feel ever again. He prayed that getting over Whitney wouldn't take long…he wanted to be with Brooke. He had a feeling that if she continued to be around as much as she was now that it wouldn't take any time at all…

…

_Desperate for changing  
Starving for truth  
I'm closer to where I started  
Chasing after you  
I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

Forgetting all I'm lacking  
Completely incomplete  
I'll take your invitation  
You take all of me now...

I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose  
There's nothing else to find  
There's nothing in the world  
That can change my mind  
There is nothing else  
There is nothing else  
There is nothing else

Desperate for changing  
Starving for truth  
I'm closer to where I started  
Chasing after you...

I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you

Just hanging by a moment (here with you)  
Hanging by a moment (here with you)  
Hanging by a moment here with you

PLEASE REVIEW!


	10. The End Has Only Begun

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Here's another update since I don't know when I'll be able to update again…it's gonna be another long crazy week and I will be out of town this coming weekend. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one besides my OC Brooke…the title and lyrics in this chapter are by Lifehouse**

The End Has Only Begun

_One might fall and the other will stand  
And one might give where the other won't bend  
The night is bright as the sun_

_I'm never gonna know  
Never gonna look back  
Never gonna know where we would have ended up at  
The end has only begun…_

The next day at the shop Vinnie was struggling to not burst out laughing as he watched Paul Jr. and Brooke stealing glances and occasional winks at one another. Brooke practically blushed the entire day and Paul could not seem to find a way to wipe the silly grin off of his face. Vinnie was pleased to see that the two young fabricators seemed to be escalating their game when it came to the flirting. He wanted to see them together…they both deserved to be happy and he knew that they would make one another incredibly happy.

"Stop it," said Brooke with a smirk on her face.

"What?" asked Vinnie, trying to look as innocent as he could, "I'm not doing anything!"

"Yes you are!" argued Brooke as she tossed a towel at him, "Stop smirking and laughing…you're ridiculous."

"Love is in the air!" sang Mikey as he sauntered into the shop, shooting his brother an amused look, "Everywhere I look around!"

Vinnie laughed hysterically at that while Brooke turned a few more shades red with embarrassment. She shot Mikey a playful glare and held up her welding torch in a threatening manner. Mikey didn't look fazed at all as he continued to belt out the love song. Paul walked up behind his little brother and jumped up on his back, his arms wrapped around Mikey's neck. Mikey laughed as he tried to flip Paul over his back while the rest of the crew paused in their work to watch the scene.

"Would you all knock it off!" boomed Senior as he leaned his head out of the office, "Mikey put your brother down! Paul leave him the hell alone!"

Vinnie and Brooke moved quickly to look like they were working while Senior yelled at his sons. They exchanged amused looks while Paul and Mikey finally separated, laughing as they went back to work. The shop was definitely in good spirits. For the first time in awhile everything felt normal again. The slight ache in Brooke's heart reminded her that it would never be the way it once was, but eventually things would smooth out completely. It was only a matter of time…

_Three Weeks Later…_

Paul whipped Brooke in the butt with an oily rag as he walked by the station she shared with Vinnie. She squealed in surprise and whirled around to shoot a glare at Paul as he walked away with a highly amused look on his face.

Vinnie chuckled and shook his head at the sight. Paul and Brooke had been steadily growing closer and closer over the past three weeks and they were beginning to act more like a couple than best friends. Vinnie knew it would not be much longer before Paul asked her out officially. He was looking forward to that day…he wanted to see his two best friends happy and he knew that together they would be absolutely perfect.

Brooke felt her heart flutter as Paul turned and gave her a wink before he started working on the fender of one of their new theme bikes. That man made her heart race so fast she was convinced she was going to have a heart attack if he ever tried to kiss her. The very thought made her heart pound painfully in her chest.

Just then the shop door opened and a familiar face stepped inside the shop. Vinnie's eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped in shock as he dropped the welding torch on the table. His eyes flickered down to where Brooke was leaning over, concentrating as she welded part of a gas tank together. She flipped her mask up when she heard the door open and looked up. She made eye-contact with Vinnie and froze. The horrified look on his face told her all that she needed to know…she knew exactly who it was that stood behind her and it turned her blood to ice.

The shop had grown eerily quiet as everyone stopped working and turned off their welding and drilling tools. Brooke heard someone curse angrily on the other side of the shop and knew that it was Paul. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as she turned around slowly to face the man behind her.

Instantly it felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. Icy claws gripped at her chest as she gazed at Rick. He was standing just inside the door of the shop wearing his heavy leather riding jacket with the tassels…the one that made him look bigger and, in Brooke's opinion, more attractive. His hair was windblown from his ride over and his skin was lightly tanned. It hurt Brooke just to look at him, but when he spoke her name she was convinced that she wouldn't be able to survive this ordeal.

"Brooke," said Rick as he glanced uneasily around the shop, "Could…I have a word with you…please?"

Brooke gripped the edge of the work bench for support as the world around her threatened to spin out of control. Her mind barely registered the strong hands that gripped her, supporting her and giving her the strength she needed to face this moment. She glanced up for a second and gave Paul a desperate, grateful look. He returned the look, his eyes hardened in a mixture of anger and worry. The message was clear in Paul's eyes: he was ticked that Rick was here and terrified of what that would mean for the two of them.

"I…I…guess so," stammered Brooke as she took in a shaky breath and forced herself to remain calm, "Um, let's go outside. I need some air."

Rick nodded in understanding as he held open the door for Brooke. She gave Paul one last glance before she turned to walk outside. Paul ran his hands through his hair and gave Vinnie a worried look as the door shut behind Rick and Brooke. Vinnie cursed and threw his baseball hat across the room. Paul just nodded in agreement to Vinnie's reaction…he was pretty pissed himself…

…

"So…how are you?" asked Rick as he leaned on his motorcycle.

Brooke crossed her arms over her chest as if she were trying to hold herself together and in that moment she was pretty sure that that was exactly what she was trying to do.

"I'm…doing a lot better," she said quietly as she kicked some gravel under her foot.

"That's good," said Rick, his eyes glittering with sadness and guilt as he looked away, "I…I was worried about you after I left. I didn't mean to leave things the way I left them. I'm so sorry, Brooke…I don't think I could ever apologize enough to you."

Brooke sneered at that, "It's not _me_ you should be apologizing to."

Rick smirked a little at that. The accusing, mean tone in Brooke's voice let him know that she was still the same old Brooke he had left several weeks ago.

"Yeah….touché," said Rick quietly, "If it's any consolation at all, you were right about Whitney."

Brooke looked up and gave Rick a questioning look, "What do you mean?"

Rick sighed, "She…walked out on me the second everything went down. I went over to her place to check up on her and make sure she was okay after everything hit the fan and she told me she didn't love me…she loved Paulie and we were just a fling. So yeah…you were right."

Brooke felt a pang of guilt and hurt for Rick, "I'm sorry…that must have sucked to hear."

"Yeah it did…but I deserved it," said Rick as he looked Brooke in the eyes, "I had that coming and I accepted it as punishment for what I had done to you and Paulie."

Brooke just nodded and glanced away uneasily. Rick had that intense look in his eyes that he always got whenever he was trying to figure out what she was thinking and it always unnerved her.

"Speaking of Paulie," he continued, "He seems awful protective of you…seems you two have bonded since I left."

Brooke felt her face turn red and she looked away, "Umm yeah…a lot's changed around here since you left."

"Apparently," muttered Rick as he looked away, "So…are you two dating or something?"

Brooke shook her head, "Uh, no not now…we're getting to know each other better before we jump into anything. I think we both learned the hard way that jumping into stuff like that just gets you hurt."

Rick visibly winced at that, "Ouch…that hurts."

Brooke shrugged, "It's the truth. I cared about you a lot Ricky…a lot more than I should have and look where it got me. Paul cared a lot about Whitney and look where it got him. Neither of us are willing to get hurt like that ever again."

Rick swallowed uneasily, "So there's no hope for me now I guess?"

Brooke blinked in surprise and took a step back, "What are you talking about?"

Rick stood up from where he was leaning on his bike and walked up to Brooke, pausing only when he was inches from her face. Brooke trembled nervously as she waited for Rick to answer her question.

"You know what I'm talking about Brooke," he said as he tucked a stray strand of black hair behind Brooke's ear, "I guess there's no hope for you and me…since you're with Paulie now."

Brooke shook her head, trying to clear her muddled thoughts as Rick stroked her hair, "Um, no…Rick I can't…I just…I can't. I care a lot about Paul and…"

"You can't tell me that you don't still have feelings for me," whispered Rick as he bent down near her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck, "You can't tell me that when I do this your heart doesn't race…you can't tell me you don't feel anything."

Brooke trembled as Rick's lips grazed her neck. She stood, frozen in shock and confusion as he stood up a little and captured her lips in his. He kissed her with passion and longing. It was not a gentle, loving kiss but one of lust and desperation.

Brooke pushed away from Rick suddenly, causing Rick to stumble back a couple steps. Brooke screamed in anger and pain as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What the hell!" she shouted, "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again!"

"Brooke," said Rick as he tried to approach her.

Brooke took a step back and gave him a warning glare. Rick put his hands up in surrender, promising not to do anything as he stepped forward. Brooke's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she wiped angry tears off of her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," said Rick, emotion threatening to clog his throat, "I shouldn't have done that…but I just had to know…I had to know if there was still something there."

"Rick whatever was there is gone," said Brooke, shaking in horror as the realization of what Rick had just done to her, "I couldn't ever feel the way I felt about you ever again…not after what happened. One day maybe we could be friends but that's all I can offer you...my heart belongs to Paul now and it always will."

Unbeknownst to Brooke, both Paul Jr. and Vinnie had emerged from the shop when they heard Brooke's screams. Paul's eyes gleamed with happiness at Brooke's words. He knew that in that moment Brooke had chosen to move on. She was pushing Rick away from her and letting himself in.

Rick glanced away and nodded, "Okay…alright, I get it. I just…had to know. I won't bother you again. Maybe we'll talk in a few months or something."

Brooke just nodded numbly as she watched Rick climb onto his bike and start the engine. Despite the fact that she had just officially pushed Rick completely out of her life, her heart still ached with pain. After all he had been her best friend and there he was, about to ride off into the sunset and out of her life, possibly for good. The very thought made her start crying as Rick pulled out of the OCC parking lot and raced down the road as fast as he could make his bike go. Brooke crumpled to the ground in an emotional heap as pain overwhelmed her…for Brooke the end had only just begun…

_We walk in your footsteps  
Though I've had my ups and downs  
And I'll stand in the silence  
Until I figure it out_

_One might fall and the other will stand  
And one might give where the other won't bend  
The night is bright as the sun_

_I'm never gonna know  
Never gonna look back  
Never gonna know where we would have ended up at  
The end has only begun_

So stop counting the hours  
Live out in the world  
Cause I've been chasing the answers  
And they don't want to be found

Well the day  
Tonight feels like a million miles away  
And these times just won't change  
Life just stays the same  
I'd give anything to see the light of day

Cause I've been too far away  
To hear you whispering

They say one might fall and the other will stand  
And one might give where the other won't bend  
The night is as bright as the sun

What you do  
No one can decide it's up to you  
And who you are is what you choose  
These times when the world falls apart  
Make us who we are


	11. Without You

**Thanks as always for all the amazing reviews! I needed a study break today so I decided to work on the story a bit more. I'll be out of town this weekend so I wasn't sure if/when I'd be able to write again so I figured I'd write now just in case I don't get the chance to for a bit. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke. Also the title of this chapter and lyrics in the chapter are by Hinder.**

Without You

_I just wanna be alone tonight  
I just wanna take a little breather  
Cause lately all we do is fight  
And every time it cuts me deeper_

_Cause something's changed  
You've been acting so strange  
And its taking its toll on me  
It's safe to say that I'm ready to let you leave_

Brooke made a bee-line for Senior's office shortly after Rick took off on his bike. Paul Junior, Vinnie and Mikey all stepped out of her way as she rushed inside the OCC building. She flung open the door to Senior's office and stepped inside. Senior looked up in surprise at Brooke's tear-stained face.

"Brooke?" he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I…I need to get out of here," stammered Brooke as she gasped for air, "I just…I need to take a vacation. I need to just…get out of this place. I'm suffocating."

"Whoa, slow down," said Senior as he stood up and placed his hands on Brooke's shoulders to steady her, "What happened?"

Brooke took a shaky breath before she answered, "Rick…Rick stopped by. I just can't be around here for awhile. I need some time to…think and work things out. I need an emotional vacation from all of this. Please…I'll make it up to you I promise."

Senior glanced over Brooke's shoulder for a moment. Brooke turned around to see what he was looking at and came face to face with Paul Jr.

"Yeah, Dad," he said quietly, "I think that makes both of us."

"Both of you?" exclaimed Senior, "Hell guys I've already lost Rick and now you _both_ want a week off?"

Paul and Brooke both winced a little at Rick's name and looked down at the floor. Senior frowned as he studied his son and Brooke. They both looked exhausted and emotionally drained. He sighed and shook his head as he felt himself giving in.

"Alright fine…you're both pretty useless to me right now anyway. Take the week off, get back here next Monday and get ready to buckle down and do some serious make-up time, alright?"

Brooke sighed in relief, "Thank you Senior," she said as she turned to leave.

Paul gave her a sympathetic smile as she squeezed past him and made a bee-line for the door. He frowned as he watched her leave, wondering what would happen to them now that everything had hit the fan.

"Give her some time," suggested Senior as he scrutinized his son, "You could use some time yourself too, you know. You both need to get over your past so you can move on. The sooner the better too."

Paul nodded and sighed as he turned to leave, "Yeah…the sooner the better…"

…

Rick slammed his helmet down in his garage as he climbed off of his motorcycle. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have known that Brooke would have moved on or been so upset with him that she wouldn't even want anything to do with him at all. Why the hell had he kissed her? He wished he could take that moment back. He could only imagine what that must have done to her…he'd already put her through hell with the whole Whitney incident and here he was hurting her yet again.

She'd said she was with Paul…they were on their way to forming a relationship and he probably just screwed that up. Brooke would never want anything to do with him after today. Whatever chance he had with her even after Whitney was now completely and totally gone. He would be lucky if she ever spoke to him again.

Pain stabbed in his chest like a knife at the thought of never speaking to Brooke. Deep down though he figured that that was probably best…for her anyway. It would be so much easier for her to move on if he took himself out of the picture...hell it'd be easier for just about everyone he knew if he just disappeared.

He froze at that thought. Maybe he should disappear for awhile….take an extended vacation from his own messed up life. Without a second thought Rick jumped back on his motorcycle and started the engine. It roared to life as Rick revved the engine and sped out of his driveway, not glancing back even once as he sped away…

…

Brooke collapsed on her bed the second she entered her apartment. She let out all of the emotion that she had been holding onto and sobbed into her pillow. Images popped into her mind like a slideshow…Rick as he walked into OCC in his leather riding gear, Rick's face as he leaned in to kiss her, the pain and rejection on his face as she told him Paul Jr. was her life now, Rick riding out of view and probably for good.

With each image a fresh wave of pain overwhelmed Brooke. Her heart was shattered. She had lost her best friend and the man she once cared so deeply for. More than that she knew it had affected Paulie too. He had asked to take the week off as well. Sure he had his own emotional issues with letting go of Whitney but she was positive that part of the motivation behind him taking the week off had to do with Rick's reappearance in their lives. Guilt wrapped itself around her gut as she curled up into a ball on her bed and pulled her knees into her chest as though she were desperately trying to hold herself together…

…

Paul Jr. walked slowly into his house and sank down onto the couch in his living room…the same couch where Brooke had sat when she came by his house to check in on him after they had found out about Rick and Whitney…it was at that moment Paul first realized and acknowledged his attraction to Brooke. The memory brought a fresh stab of pain and he shook his head in an attempt to clear the image away but Brooke's bright blue eyes and dark black hair, perfect complexion and well-shaped body wouldn't go away. He already missed her terribly. He wanted so badly to hold her…tell her everything was okay…promise her that all of this would go away.

But right then and there Paul wasn't so sure that was entirely true. Rick had just come back into their lives and ripped everything to shreds. They had been making so much ground and just like that they were back at square one. It infuriated Paul to no end. The pain of discovering Rick and Whitney's secret had come flooding back and for Brooke the pain of losing the man she once cared for had come back to haunt her. It wasn't fair…it wasn't fair for either of them. Rage boiled in Paul's blood as he realized that if Rick had never come back things would still be okay…he and Brooke would be fine and probably going out for dinner right about now…

Without thinking, Paul grabbed a vase on one of his shelves and threw it across the room. The glass vase slammed into the wall and shattered into a million little slivers. He drew in a long, shaky breath as he tried to calm himself down. Breaking things in his own home would do nothing to solve his issues even if it did feel rather satisfying. No, now was the time to think things through and just deal with all the emotional garbage that had been piling up for awhile now. He wanted to move on from this so that he and Brooke could finally be together…and he wanted that more than anything else in the world…

…

After a couple hours Brooke pried herself out of her curled up position on her bed and stretched out her sore, stiff limbs. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She had to get a hold of herself. She was tougher than this…she always had been. Why was she allowing this to affect her so much? Nothing ever got to her…damn Rick and Whitney. They'd ruined everything.

A brief moment of rage washed over Brooke but she forced it back. Anger was not the solution to this. She needed to learn how to deal with her emotions and how to move on from all of this. She had to let go of Rick. Sure she had pushed him away physically but now she had to work on pushing him out of her mind and out of her heart. It wasn't going to be easy but if she wanted to be with Paul she had to do it. All she needed was some time to herself…just a little breather to deal with all the pain and betrayal. She and Rick were never meant to be together and it was about time that she accepted this fact and moved on.

She had a feeling that once she accepted that fact, that her life would take a turn for the better…and she could not wait until that day finally arrived…

_I just wanna be alone tonight  
I just wanna take a little breather  
Cause lately all we do is fight  
And every time it cuts me deeper_

Cause something's changed  
You've been acting so strange  
And its taking its toll on me  
Its safe to say that I'm ready to let you leave

Without you, I live it up a little more everyday  
Without you, I'm seeing myself so differently  
I didn't wanna believe it then  
But it all worked out in the end  
When I watched you walk away  
Well I never thought I'd say  
I'm fine  
Without you

Called you up cause' it's been long enough  
And you said that you were so much better  
We have done a lot of growing up  
We were never meant to be together…

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	12. Better Than Me

**As always thank you guys for reading and reviewing my story! I love the feedback and I'm glad everyone seems to like this story. Enjoy the update!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke. The title and lyrics in this chapter are by Hinder.**

Better Than Me

_I told myself I won't miss you  
But I remember  
What it feels like beside you  
I really miss your hair in my face  
And the way your innocence tastes  
And I think you should know this  
You deserve much better than me…_

…

_Three Days Later…_

Rick threw his small bag onto the hotel bed and sighed wearily. He had been riding for three days straight now, stopping momentarily to sleep and eat, and now he was exhausted. He didn't know exactly where he was going, all he knew was that he had to get as far away from New York as he could. He couldn't handle being anywhere near OCC or anyone associated with them for a while. The pain and the guilt were hard enough to deal with much less having to see people who used to be his friends…and then there was Brooke.

The old, familiar stabbing pain hit Rick as he thought about Brooke. That broken, hurt look on her face as he turned and rode away from OCC would not leave his memory. It was a constant reminder of what he had done…and for what? Whitney abandoned him the second Paul dumped her. He had no one now. He had thrown every good thing in his life away for what? A fling?

Rick cursed himself as he sat down on the edge of the bed and put his head down in his hands. He wished desperately that he could take away everything he had done…go back to the way things used to be. But deep down he knew that Paul Jr. was a much better choice for Brooke. Paul was everything he wasn't: loyal, kind, understanding…the list went on and on. The selfish part of Rick wanted to ride back to New York and convince Brooke to be with him. He figured he could if he really wanted to but the other part of him, the part that cared deeply for Brooke, told him that she was in a much better place now that he wasn't around. As sobering as that thought was in a strange way it was almost comforting. At least she would be okay…at least she would be able to live a good, full life. He only wished he could say the same thing about himself…

…

Brooke was convinced that if she stayed in her apartment much longer she was going to go insane. She was starting to get cabin fever and she desperately wanted to do something, anything even if it meant going back to OCC and working on a bike. Sitting around and mulling over what all had happened was getting old. She was ready to take the next step forward to moving on with her life she just didn't know what to do or how to go about it.

Just then the doorbell rang. Brooke looked out the peep-hole and smiled when she saw a familiar face. Her heart filled with warmth as it beat erratically. She opened the door and smiled up at Paul Jr.

"Hey stranger," she said with a smirk, her blue eyes twinkling, "How are you?"

Paul smiled back at her and Brooke felt her heart flutter. His liquid brown eyes melted her as he gazed down at her.

"I'm doing alright," he answered as he looked her up and down, "Just thought I'd check in on you. I was starting to get a little bored back at my place...I'm not used to having nothing to do I guess."

"Tell me about it," agreed Brooke as she stepped aside to let him in, "Come on inside."

Paul obliged and walked into Brooke's apartment. He smiled at the quaintness of the little space. It was very homey and warm. He felt immediately at home in the cozy little apartment. He followed Brooke into the little sitting area and sat down on the couch.

"So what brings you over here?" asked Brooke as she sat down next to him, "Besides having cabin fever that is."

Paul glanced away nervously and cleared his throat before he answered, "Well…um, I was just wondering how you were doing…with the whole Rick thing."

Brooke looked away for a moment and took a breath, steadying herself, "Better…better than I thought I would be. I've realized that it's ridiculous to hold onto him and to whatever it was we had because it's over and nothing will ever change that. And besides…there's someone else I'm rather interested in anyway."

Paul looked up sharply at that, his eyes wide, "What? Who?"

Brooke giggled at the panicked look on Paul's face, "You silly!"

Paul relaxed immediately and grinned sheepishly, "Oh…well that's good then. Because I think I'm ready to take that next step in our relationship. I've been doing a lot of thinking too about Whitney and realized the same thing you realized about Rick. It's time to let go. How can I hold on to her when I have you right here in front of me?"

Brooke felt herself blush a little at that, her eyes sparkling with excitement as Paul continued talking.

"So…Brooke," he said nervously, "Would you do me the incredible honor of being my girlfriend?"

…

_Four Days Later…_

"Their back!" shouted Vinnie as Paul Jr. and Brooke walked back into OCC Monday morning, hand in hand.

The OCC crew applauded as the two fabricators entered the shop. Senior came out of his office and gave his son and Brooke hugs and welcomed them back.

"You guys doing okay?" he asked as he gave them a scrutinizing look. He glanced down and saw that Paul was holding Brooke's hand and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Better than okay," answered Brooke with a smile.

"A hell of a lot better than okay," added Paul, his eyes shining happily as he looked down at Brooke.

"Well it's about time!" said Vinnie as he sat down his welding torch, "You two waited long enough!"

Paul smirked at his friend and rolled his eyes, "Alright we better get to work before Vinnie has the whole shop riled up."

Brooke just laughed and nodded in agreement as she followed Paul over to one of the production bikes. She grabbed a mask and welding torch and picked up where Vinnie left off and started welding a gas tank together. Meanwhile, Paul and Vinnie wrestled as Mikey walked over and joined in. Brooke just rolled her eyes in exasperation at the sight. The three men collapsed on the floor as they continued wrestling. Despite the distraction Brooke was glad to see everyone in good spirits…it was definitely a nice change of pace that was for sure.

…

_Two Days Later…_

"Hey Brooke," greeted Vinnie as Brooke walked over to him, "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He said he was gonna run by and pick up coffee for all of us…Starbucks," added Brooke with an excited smile, "It's the good stuff."

"I freaking love your boyfriend," said Vinnie, "He's a good man."

"Yeah…he is," replied Brooke, her eyes glowing as she helped Vinnie hold together the oil tank so he could tack it together.

"So…you haven't heard anything from Rick recently have you?" asked Vinnie quietly after a moment.

Brooke froze for a second before she replied, "Um, no why?"

Vinnie shrugged, "I dunno…it's just…no one has heard a single word from him. I mean I know things are weird between him and OCC and you and Paulie but I mean the guy hasn't even showed his face around town. It's like he disappeared. I tried calling him but he didn't answer his phone and that was two days ago. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, you know? I mean with everything that went down I just wanted him to know that no one hates him or anything."

Brooke frowned as she leaned on the work bench, "That is kind of weird. I mean it's not like this is a big town or anything. So no one from the shop has heard or seen him at all?"

"Nope…I asked everyone too. Nothing, nada…it's like he's disappeared into thin air."

"Where would he have gone?" asked Brooke as she reached for the welding torch.

"No idea…but I'm not gonna lie to you Brooke, I'm worried," said Vinnie, his forehead wrinkled with worry as he thought about Rick, "This isn't normal for him… I mean I worked with the guy for years. It's just weird. I'm gonna stop by his place after work and just see if he's there or if the neighbors have heard from him. I just wanna check to see if things are okay."

Brooke nodded in agreement, "Yeah and you'd be the best one to do it…there's not much drama between you two."

Vinnie nodded, "Yeah…okay I'll stop by after work and I'll let you know what I find out."

"Thanks Vinnie," said Brooke with a sigh, "Let's just hope it's nothing serious…"

…

Rick stood on the beach looking out over the ocean. The sun was setting and he was so glad to be so very far from New York. The west coast was a much better option for him right now…he didn't know anyone here…he could escape here…he could hear himself think here.

But despite his new surroundings the guilt and pain wouldn't go away. Part of him knew he would never be able to ride away from the pain but it did help to put some distance between himself and those he had hurt so deeply.

He hoped Brooke was doing well…he hoped she was happy. That's all he wanted for her was a life of happiness. After what he had done to her it was the least that she deserved. He on the other hand deserved exactly what he now had: nothing. Nothing but his motorcycle and a small book bag with the bare essentials to get by. That's all he needed and all he wanted right now. Anything more than that would feel wrong…he didn't deserve anymore than that. Hell he didn't even deserve what little he had.

He sighed as he watched the sun set and sent up a silently prayer of forgiveness and a silent plea that this part of his life would pass quickly…because he wasn't sure how much more of it he would be able to endure…

_I think you can do much better than me  
After all the lies that I made you believe  
Guilt kicks in and I start to see  
The edge of the bed  
Where your nightgown used to be_

_I told myself I won't miss you  
But I remember  
What it feels like beside you  
I really miss your hair in my face  
And the way your innocence tastes  
And I think you should know this  
You deserve much better than me_

_The bed I'm lying in is getting colder  
Wish I never would've said it's over  
And I can't pretend_

_I won't think about you when I'm older  
Cause we never really had our closure  
This can't be the end…_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. No Air

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update…I've been sooo busy with school. But here is the new chapter! Also there's a bit of a spoiler in here for the sequel I'm gonna write eventually about this story. It may also have Vinnie as even more of a main character…just cuz I love him so much : ) **

**Disclaimer: I own no one besides my OC Brooke. Title and lyrics are by Jordin Sparks**

No Air

_If I should die before I wake  
It's 'cause you took my breath away  
Losing you is like living in a world with no air…_

Vinnie walked into OCC the next morning, frowning with worry as he started working on one of the production bikes. Brooke looked up from where she was doing some sketches of a new gas tank and glanced over at Vinnie. Her brow furrowed as she studied her friend's face.

"You okay, Vin?" she asked as she watched Vinnie rummage through his tools.

Vinnie sighed, "I dunno…I stopped by Rick's place last night."

Brooke's heart skipped a beat at that. She froze, waiting for Vinnie to continue. Paul Jr. had been walking by on his way to the office and heard what Vinnie said. He stopped in mid-stride and glanced over at Vinnie in surprise. Brooke glanced over at Paul and exchanged an anxious glance with him as he walked over.

"And?" asked Paul as he put an arm around Brooke.

"His bike's gone," said Vinnie, looking very worried, "He didn't answer the door. I stopped by this morning on my way into work and the bike is still gone. I think…I think Rick's gone AWOL."

Brooke felt her blood turn to ice at Vinnie's words. She suddenly felt her knees go weak and felt Paul's arm tighten around her waist as he tried to support her.

"Maybe he just needed to get away," suggested Paul, "We shouldn't jump to conclusions…it's probably nothing. I mean considering all that's gone down I'm sure he just needed some time to get away."

"It's all my fault," whispered Brooke, her blue eyes wide with despair, "If something happened to him then it's all my fault…"

"Don't talk like that," urged Paul as he wrapped his arms around Brooke, "This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is!" shouted Brooke as she pushed away from Paul, a wild light dancing in her eyes, "He…the day he came over here on his bike…he kissed me. He told me how he felt about me and I…I rejected him. Damn it he looked so miserable, Paul. If he…oh my God…"

Paul's eyes flashed with anger for a brief moment when Brooke said that Rick had kissed her. If he had known that's what Rick had done he would have killed the guy himself. He brushed aside his anger when he saw the devastation on Brooke's face. She was blaming herself for whatever had happened to Rick and she looked like she was about to pass out.

"Stop," he said, his voice rough with mixed emotions, "This isn't your fault, Brooke. He shouldn't have kissed you; he shouldn't have put that kind of pressure on you. This is his issue not yours. He asked for this…I don't want anything to happen to him either. He was one of my closest friends too but you cannot blame yourself for this."

Brooke just shook her head miserably as she leaned against the workbench for support.

"I have to find him," she said quietly, running a hand through her long, black hair, "He took off because of me so I have to find him."

"Where would you even start?" asked Vinnie, "Brooke you have no clue where he went…it's pointless."

"It can't hurt to try," snapped Brooke, suddenly very frustrated with Vinnie and Paul for being so calm about this situation.

Vinnie gave Paul an exasperated look. Paul just shrugged his shoulders, his brown eyes troubled as he gazed at Brooke. They both knew she was too stubborn to listen to either of them so there was no point in arguing with her. They had to just leave her alone and let her do whatever it was she needed to do.

"Okay," said Paul after a moment, "If you want help let me know."

Brooke looked up at Paul in surprise. She had not expected for him to offer any kind of help at all. After all that had happened between Paul and Rick she thought maybe he would be happy to learn that Rick had disappeared. After all the guy had slept with Paul's old girlfriend and then kissed his current girlfriend. Paul had every right to dislike Rick and yet here he was offering to help her find him.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

Paul nodded, "Yeah I'm sure…he's your best friend right? If this is something you need to do then count me in."

Brooke just shook her head in amazement, "Thank you," she whispered.

Paul just reached out his arms and held Brooke close to him for a moment, "Don't mention it."

Vinnie smirked a little at the sight. Despite all the craziness that had gone on in the shop within the past year at least there was a glimmer of hope: Paul and Brooke. Vinnie had a feeling that the young couple would go far in life. He couldn't quite tell exactly why he thought that…he just had a strong feeling that they were destined for great things and he was looking forward to seeing what the future held for them all.

…

_Two Days Later…_

Brooke worked silently on one of the new gas tanks for the production bikes. Across the shop, Vinnie and Paul Jr. watched, frowning in concern as they watched Brooke working away.

"Still no word?" asked Paul under his breath.

Vinnie shook his head, "No…she's been calling his phone, texting him, checking the house, talking to neighbors and still nothing. I checked the house this morning and talked to a guy that lives across the street from Rick. No one's heard from him in a long time. It's not looking good, Paulie."

Paul frowned at that as he glanced back over at Brooke. She had been extremely quiet the past two days at the shop. She worked the day away in nearly complete silence then left to go on her quest to find Rick. Then she would show up at Paul's house in tears, desperation and pain written all over her face. Paul was getting tired of seeing her in so much pain. He silently cursed Rick for causing so much hurt. It wasn't fair for Brooke to be hurting because of this.

"What do we do if he never shows up again?" asked Vinnie quietly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Brooke was a safe distance away, and "I mean…what if Rick never comes back?"

Paul shook his head and gave Vinnie a nervous glance, "I have no idea…it would devastate her. Vin I have no idea what to do to make this go away. I wish I could take away her pain. I wish so desperately that I could make this whole damn thing just disappear."

Vinnie nodded in agreement, "Yeah me too…I wish things could go back to the way they used to be: you, me, Rick, Brooke all working together on bikes, things going smoothly, no real drama aside from you and Brooke snapping at each other once in awhile…the good old days."

Paul smirked as he recalled "the good old days." Things had been so much easier back then. All they did was build bikes…there was no real drama. Now things were so difficult and complicated it was hard to even concentrate on welding gas tanks together. Paul just prayed that Rick would hurry up and show his face sometime soon so that they could all deal with their issues and move on with life. If Rick didn't show…then Paul had no clue what in the world he was going to do.

He cast another anxious look in Brooke's direction. She was trying to sneakily wipe away at a tear under her welding mask. She shook her head in frustration as she tried to control her emotions and focus on the gas tank. Paul frowned at the sight and sent up another silent prayer that Rick would show up and show up soon. If he didn't then Paul feared that Brooke would completely fall apart…

_If I should die before I wake  
It's 'cause you took my breath away  
Losing you is like living in a world with no air  
Oh_

I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave  
My heart won't move, it's incomplete  
Wish there was a way that I can make you understand

So how do you expect me  
to live alone with just me  
'Cause my world revolves around you  
It's so hard for me to breathe

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air  
Can't live, can't breathe with no air  
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there  
It's no air, no air  
Got me out here in the water so deep  
Tell me how you gonna be without me  
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe  
It's no air, no air

So how do you expect me  
to live alone with just me  
'Cause my world revolves around you  
It's so hard for me to breathe  


**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. World So Cold

**So I've been avoiding my story because its kinda scary how closely related it is to my life right now…let's just say I'm pretty much right in Brooke's position right now…lol good times. Anyways here's the new update!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from Brooke. The title and lyrics in this chapter are by Three Days Grace**

World So Cold

_I never thought  
I'd feel this,  
Guilty and I'm  
Broken down inside,  
Living with myself,  
Nothing but lies  
I always thought  
I'd make it,  
But never knew I'd  
Let it get so bad,  
Living with myself  
Is all I have,_

Four Weeks Later…

"Any word from Rick?" asked a somber-looking Paul Sr. as he sauntered into the shop.

Brooke's face grew taught with worry as she shook her head. It had been nearly two months now since Rick had taken off and no one had heard anything from him. Brooke, Paul Jr. and Vinnie had all taken turns driving by his house and talking to neighbors but two weeks ago they had given up. Rick wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Vinnie sighed as he put a hand on Brooke's shoulder and glanced over at Senior, "No…nothing."

Senior grumbled something under his breath and shook his head sadly as he turned back around to head to his office.

Paul Jr. walked over to Brooke and Vinnie. They all exchanged sad, scared looks. Despite everything that had gone on between them they all wanted Rick to be okay…especially Brooke. It was eating her alive not knowing where Rick was or if he was even okay. She had lost a lot of weight recently and it was beginning to show. Paul and Vinnie were becoming concerned with her health and were worried that things would get a lot worse if they didn't get some answers soon.

Brooke leaned into Paul's chest and he wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his t-shirt and tried to stifle the tears that threatened to pour out. Her heart felt like it had been cut so deep that it would never heal right again. Rick not being in her life just didn't feel right…it felt so wrong and it hurts so bad she wasn't sure how to deal with the pain anymore…

…

_That evening…_

Brooke paced back in forth in her apartment, praying, thinking, and wondering how in the world she could get a hold of Rick. They had all been calling and texting him and it was obvious that they were either being ignored or weren't going through. Brooke was beginning to reach the point of desperation. She would do just about anything to just know that Rick was alive and well. After pacing for another few minutes she picked up her cell phone and sent Rick a text:

_I don't know why you aren't answering your calls…I just want to know that you're alive. Please Rick I'm begging you just let me know you're okay._

Brooke sat down in her lazy-boy chair and prayed that he would respond…

…

Rick was sitting out on the beach right outside of the hotel he had been staying in for the past couple months, watching the sun set. There was just something about the way the sun looked when it set on the west coast…it was different than the east coast, more colorful and vivid. Rick sighed as the sun slowly slipped below the horizon. Another day had come and gone and he still wasn't sure what to do with his life. Going back to OCC was out of the question…regardless of how often they were calling and texting him he knew that he wouldn't ever truly be welcomed back again so what was the point of returning? Maybe he'd take up a job here in California…after all the money was starting to wear thin.

Just then, his phone buzzed. Rick sighed as he glanced down and saw that it was text from Brooke. It had been a while since she had tried to contact him. He hesitated, wondering whether or not he should open the message. Before he could think twice he flipped open the phone and opened the text. He instantly felt horrible as he read Brooke's message. She was literally begging him to make contact with her just so that she knew he was alive. A stab of guilt hit Rick as he prepared to respond to the message. He had told himself that he wouldn't respond to any of their calls or texts but he could literally feel the pain in Brooke's message and it hurt him to realize how much he was upsetting her.

_Brooke, I'm okay…don't worry about me. I won't bother you again._

…

Brooke's heart skipped at least one beat when she looked down and saw that Rick had texted her back. She felt elated that he was okay but a little upset when she saw his promise to never bother her again. Frowning, she replied:

_Rick we all want you to come back…all of us. Including Paul. We miss you. Please come home…wherever you are its not where you belong. You belong here at OCC._

…

Rick felt his stomach clench as he read Brooke's message. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he thought about how to reply.

_I don't know Brooke…I don't think that's what's really best right now. You're better off without me around. I'm okay please don't worry about me okay?_

…

Brooke felt a flash of anger as she read Rick's text. Not worry about him? What the hell did he think she'd been doing since he left? He was her best friend for crying out loud!

_Rick I'm not better off without you here, I'm much worse off. Please…you're my best friend and I don't want to lose you._

Rick: _I promise you in the long run this is for the best…it hurts now, trust me I know, but I know this is the right thing to do right now._

Brooke:_ How can something that is hurting us both so badly be the right thing to do? _

Rick: _I'm sorry Brooke…I gotta go. Take care of yourself_

…

Brooke felt her heart break as she closed her phone. Rick wasn't coming back…and she would probably never see him again…

…

_I never thought  
I'd feel this,  
Guilty and I'm  
Broken down inside,  
Living with myself,  
Nothing but lies_

I always thought  
I'd make it,  
But never knew I'd  
Let it get so bad,  
Living with myself  
Is all I have,

I feel numb,  
I can't come to life,  
I feel like  
I'm frozen in time,

Living in a  
World so cold,  
Wasted away,  
Living in a shell  
With no soul,  
Since you've gone away,  
Living in a world so cold,  
Counting the days  
Since you've gone away,

Do you ever feel me?  
Do you ever look  
Deep down inside?  
Staring at yourself  
Paralyzed?

I'm too young  
To lose my soul,  
I'm too young  
To feel this old,  
So long  
I'm left behind,  
I feel like  
I'm losing my mind.


	15. Friends Never Say Goodbye

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! I've gotten another random inspirational moment for this story…instead of 2 separate stories I'm just going to keep posting for this story and just make it extra long…the next chapter will skip a few months to get the story going (get it to the point where I would have made a sequel) and continue from there. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from my OC Brooke…the title of this song and the lyrics are by Elton John**

Friends Never Say Goodbye

_One Month Later…_

It had now been almost four months since Rick had left OCC and disappeared from Brooke's life. She was beginning to adjust to the change but the dull ache in her heart still remained. It was hard letting go of someone that she was once so close to. It felt like a lifetime since they had seen one another. Time did heal the wound but it left behind an ugly scare that Brooke knew would always be there.

"How's that fender coming along?" asked Vinnie as he walked over to where Brooke was bending and shaping sheet metal.

"Not too bad," said Brooke as she gave her friend a smile, "Haven't worked with sheet metal in awhile…feels good to get creative again."

"I know the feeling," said Vinnie as he nodded in agreement, "So…how are you doing?"

Brooke sighed, "Better…I think I've finally accepted that he isn't coming back and this is just how life is going to be…still hurts but it's getting easier to deal with."

"Good," said Vinnie as he put an arm around Brooke's shoulders and gave her a squeeze, "I was getting sick and tired of seeing you so upset…we all were."

Brooke felt a twinge of guilt at that. She had done her best to hide her pain from the rest of the crew, especially Paul. It had to be hard enough for Paul to deal with the fact that his ex-girlfriend and Rick had an affair much less the fact that his new girlfriend used to be best friends with Rick and missed him desperately.

"Where's Paul?" asked Brooke as Vinnie picked up a welding tool to work on the gas tank.

"He's in the office talking with Senior," mumbled Vinnie, not making eye-contact with Brooke.

Brooke frowned at that. Senior and Junior had been at each other's throats a lot lately so the fact that they were alone in the office together was most likely a very bad thing.

"What's going on?" asked Brooke as she studied Vinnie.

"I dunno…they got in a bad fight this morning so I guess they're talking it out now."

"How bad was it?" asked Brooke nervously.

"On a scale of one to ten? I'd say a 9," muttered Vinnie as he flipped on his protective mask and started welding.

Brooke cursed under her breath as she shielded her eyes from the bright light of the welding tool. She silently prayed that whatever was going on in Senior's office wouldn't end up in disaster. The last thing the shop needed was another father vs. son drama in the middle of a bike build.

Just then the door flew open and Paul Jr. came stalking out into the shop. He made a bee-line for his workstation and started slamming his tools around on the work bench.

Brooke and Vinnie exchanged frustrated looks as they realized that the fight had been over the usual argument: cleanliness of the shop. Paul looked like he was attempting to organize his tools but was having a hard time controlling his anger in the process. Most of the tools ended up clattering to the ground causing Paul to curse out loud in frustration as he bent over to pick them up. He was surprised to see another pair of hands already picking up the fallen tools. He looked up and made eye-contact with Brooke. She gave him an exasperated look, smiling a little in amusement at his temper tantrum.

"You know, organizing your tools goes over a lot better when you're not throwing them around the shop," she said, her eyes glowing playfully as she stood up to place the tools in their correct places.

Paul couldn't help but smirk a little at that, "Yeah…sorry."

Brooke just shrugged, "It happens…so you and your dad fight again?"

Paul nodded, "Yeah…it's been happening a lot lately."

"We've noticed," said Vinnie as he walked over to help, "Everything okay?"

"I guess," muttered Paul, "It's just business as usual."

Brooke and Vinnie exchanged a glance as they helped pick up the tools. It definitely was not "business as usual." The past four weeks had involved several conflicts between Senior and Junior and it was starting to concern the OCC crew. The father and son team had not been this divided in a very long time.

"Hey…if you guys have a moment when we're done cleaning I need to tell you something," said Vinnie quietly, not looking up at them as he put some of the tools away.

Brooke looked up sharply when she recognized the worried tone in Vinnie's voice. She and Paul exchanged confused looks before they answered.

"Um, yeah sure Vin," said Paul after a moment.

They finished putting the tools away in silence. Paul and Brooke were busy contemplating what Vinnie had to tell them and Vinnie was busy mulling over the news he had to break to his best friends. He had been dreading this moment for the past couple weeks since he had made his decision. It was also horrible timing to say the least and he felt very guilty about the whole thing.

"So…what's up Vin?" asked Paul as he and Brooke turned to face their friend.

Vinnie took a deep breath before he answered, "Well…it's something I've been thinking about for awhile now…and as hard as it is to do or even say for that matter I think it is the right thing."

Brooke and Paul exchanged a confused look as they waited for Vinnie to continue.

"I'm…I'm leaving OCC."

Brooke stopped breathing for a few seconds as she tried to process what Vinnie had just said. He was leaving…just like Rick left…she was losing yet another friend.

"You're…leaving?" asked Paul, his voice cracking a little with surprise, "What? Why?"

"It's just my time," said Vinnie, not making eye-contact with his friends, "And let's face it…it's not like things have been incredibly easy around here lately. I can't stand all the fighting between you and Senior…it's just not the way it used to be and I'd rather leave on my own like this than wait until things get worse."

Brooke just shook her head in disbelief while Paul had a pained, guilty look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Vin," he mumbled, "I didn't mean to make things hard for you."

"It's not just you," said Vinnie, looking suddenly very sad, "I mean it's more Senior…I just can't handle it anymore. I'm gonna go out on my own and see if I can get my own company underway."

"You'll be missed," whispered Brooke, her throat tight with emotion.

Vinnie gave Brooke a hug, "Thanks…I'm going to miss you guys too."

"When do you go?" asked Brooke as she pulled away and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"Three days…I start packing up my stuff tomorrow I guess."

"Well we wish you the best, Vin," said Paul as he hugged his friend, "We'll miss you like hell but I hope everything works out for you."

"Thanks guys…alright enough of this sad shit let's go get some dinner," said Vinnie as he forced a smile on his face.

Brooke rolled her eyes at Vinnie as Paul put an arm around her waist and led them out the back door of OCC. Brooke was sad to hear that yet another one of her friends was leaving but at least this friend wasn't going to be dropping off the face of the earth. At least she knew that Vin was only a phone call away...she just wished that she could say the same about a certain other friend of hers…

_There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road  
And through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode  
Suddenly that isn't true  
There's another avenue  
Beckoning the great divide  
Ask no questions, take no side  
Who's to say who's right or wrong, whose course is braver run  
Still we are, have always been, will ever be as one_

_What is done has been done for the best  
Though the mist in my eyes might suggest  
Just a little confusion about what I'll lose  
But if I started over I know I would choose  
The same joy, the same sadness each step of the way  
That fought me and taught me that friends never say  
Never say goodbye  
Never say goodbye  
Never say goodbye  
Never say goodbye_

_Suddenly that isn't true  
There's another avenue  
Beckoning, the great divide  
I would choose  
The same joy, the same sadness each step of the way  
That fought me and taught me that friends never say  
Never say goodbye  
Never say goodbye  
Never say goodbye  
Never say goodbye_


	16. Rain

**Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews! : )**

**Disclaimer: I own no one aside from Brooke…the lyrics found in this chapter and the title of this chapter are by Jon Heintz and the song can be found on the Deadliest Catch soundtrack!**

Rain

_6 Months Later…_

Brooke winced as she heard the now all-too-familiar sounds of yelling coming from Paul Senior's office. She heard Paul Junior's voice as he argued against his father's accusations and she shook her head sadly as she helped Christian, another fabricator and wire technician, work on one of the new production bikes.

"What the hell?" muttered Christian under his breath, "This is getting ridiculous."

"Tell me about it," muttered Brooke as she helped Christian set the gas tank on the frame.

"Hey guys! That looks pretty damn good if I do say so myself!"

Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance as she recognized the voice. It was Jason Pohl, the new designer and official "drawer" of OCC. Jason had been hired about two months ago to help program the drawings that Paul Jr. came up with for the various bikes they built. His job was to turn 2-D pictures into 3-D computer generated images for the crew to look at while they fabricated the bikes. He was good at his job but he was also highly annoying. Jason was loud, hyper-active and always in Brooke's way. She found it hard to get along with OCC's newest employee despite her best efforts to be kind to him and work around his loud personality.

"You're just saying that because you helped design it," grumbled Christian, casting an irritable glance in Jason's direction, "If I'd designed it you'd be whining about it and saying how much better of a job you could have done."

Jason narrowed his eyes at Christian, "You're just jealous of my mad skills…its cool I get it and I don't blame you either."

"Jason why don't you go draw something?" suggested Brooke as she turned to face him, "We're trying to work out here and we don't have time to deal with your drama right now."

Jason rolled his eyes, "Whatever….you're both jerks."

Christian and Brooke just smirked at each other as they continued working. Jason sulked off back to his office, mumbling under his breath as he closed the door behind him.

"God that kid gets annoying," muttered Christian as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Brooke just smirked and nodded in agreement. Just then the door to the office flew open and Paul Jr. stormed into the shop. Brooke and Christian exchanged worried looks as they watched Paul pick up one of the garbage cans and toss it across the room. They flinched at the loud noise and tensed as Paul proceeded to punch a hole through the wall as he made a bee-line for the back door of the shop. He slammed the door behind him loudly, the sound reverberating throughout the shop for several seconds after he left.

"Oh no," said Brooke, her voice shaky, "This isn't good…this is really, really, really bad. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before."

Christian shared Brooke's scared and uncertain look, "Yeah…whatever the hell happened in there it definitely wasn't any good."

Jason Pohl poked his head out of his office and looked around the shop hesitantly before he emerged. He glanced around at the shocked crew and gave them a very confused look.

"What the hell was that?" he asked as he walked back out into the shop.

"Paul," muttered Brooke as she ran a hand through her long, straight black hair, "I think he and Senior got into a nasty fight…but this time it doesn't look so good."

"You don't think…nah no way," said Jason as he waved off whatever it was he was about to say.

"What?" asked Brooke, giving Jason a worried look.

"Well…I mean you don't think he quit or nothing do you? I mean I hear that's been happening a lot around here recently."

"If Paul just quit then we're screwed," said Christian worriedly.

"Brooke?" asked Jason, as he reached out to her, "You okay?"

Brooke's face had turned pale as she contemplated the fact that Paul may have just quit OCC. Between losing her best friend Rick nearly a year ago and Vinnie six months ago she couldn't take any more of this. Just the idea of her boyfriend leaving too scared her. He was the last one here who she trusted completely and she didn't know what in the world she would do if he never came back.

"Um…yeah…I just need some fresh air," said Brooke as she pushed Jason aside and headed for the back door.

The second Brooke was outside she closed the door behind her and leaned on it heavily, taking huge gulps of fresh air as she tried to calm herself down. She stayed outside for a good half hour, trying to control her emotions and keep herself together. She couldn't bear the thought of going back into the shop until she managed to calm herself down.

Just then, a black pick-up truck pulled up into the parking lot. Brooke sighed with relief when she saw that it was Paul's truck. Perhaps he had just needed to go for a drive to cool off a bit after the fight with his dad?

Paul climbed out of the truck and started walking toward the back door of the shop. He hesitated when he saw Brooke standing there. His heart fell a little and he clenched his teeth as he prepared to deliver the bad news to her. He knew it was going to break her heart…she had gone through so much already in the past year and he couldn't imagine just how this was going to make it all so much worse.

"Hey," he said quietly as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

Brooke sighed as she fell into Paul's arms, "Hey…are you okay?"

"Um…not really, no," replied Paul as he pulled away, "I…Dad fired me, Brooke."

Brooke felt her knees go weak and suddenly Paul's arms were around her waist again, holding her up. She stared up at him, her eyes blank with shock.

"He…he what?" she stammered, her heart pounding with fear as she began to assess what that meant.

"Yeah…we got into it bad this time," muttered Paul, "He freaked out on me and fired me…I'm here to pack up my stuff then I'm leaving."

Brooke felt instantly nauseous. She took a step away from Paul, shaking her head in disbelief.

"This isn't happening," she said quietly, "This can't be happening…you're a _Teutul_. You're part owner of this place…you can't be fired. Senior can't do this!"

"He did," said Paul as he gazed sadly at Brooke, "I'm so sorry baby…I don't have a choice now. I have to go. I know this is hard but it's probably for the best anyway. It's not like Dad and I have been getting along that well lately. Things are getting really bad between us and this was inevitable. I'm still gonna be around, I'm not disappearing on you. I promise you I'm not going to leave you…I'll just be looking for a new job somewhere in town till I can figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now, okay? So don't be too upset…things will work out I promise."

Brooke nodded, her arms wrapped around her as if she were trying to hold herself together. Just when she thought things couldn't possibly get any worse or any harder to deal with here she was once again saying goodbye to someone she cared about. At least this time she knew it wouldn't be forever. Paul would still be in town and they could still see each other. He wouldn't disappear on her like Rick did.

"I'll help you get your things together," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Paul smiled sadly as he put an arm around Brooke and led her back inside the shop. He wished desperately that things could be different…it wasn't fair to put her through all of this pain. He felt a wave of anger toward his father for doing this. This wasn't just going to negatively affect Brooke but it could also negatively affect the company and the other employees. He just prayed that some way, somehow they would be able to make it through this latest crisis…

_Come sit with your angels,_

_And give us some time,_

_Forgive us this fragile frame of mind,_

_It's all right._

_'Cause it's difficult changes for each in our turn,_

_And baby your angels they never learn,_

_No we never learned…_

_Rain is gonna come down  
Is gonna come down  
Change is gonna come around  
Is gonna come 'round_

_We're given these moments,_

_We're given this time,_

_And we do what we must just,_

_Just to get by,_

_Just to stay high and dry_

_And as sure as these blue skies they're gonna turn gray._

_You've given your angels all of your days_

_Oh but you can't stay…_

_Rain is gonna come down_

_Change is gonna come 'round._

_Rain is gonna come down  
Is gonna come down  
Change is gonna come around  
Is gonna come 'round_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	17. We Weren't Born to Follow

**Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing my story! I love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I own no once except for my OC Brooke…lyrics and title of this chapter are by Bon Jovi (the best band EVER lol)**

We Weren't Born to Follow

_One Week Later…_

"Stop moping and get to work," grumbled a very irritable Paul Senior as he stalked past where Brooke was standing at her work station staring off into space with a sad look on her face.

Brooke's lip curled up a little in disgust at Senior's order and muttered something under her breath as she picked up the welding torch and got back to work. Things around OCC had changed drastically since Paul Jr. had been fired. Mikey didn't come by the shop very often at all anymore. He wasn't really welcome thanks to Senior and Steve. Brooke felt a wave of anger as she thought about Steve. What the hell did he do anyway? He shared an office with Senior and bossed them around whenever he felt like it. Other than that Brooke wasn't quite sure what his purpose at OCC was.

"You alright?" mumbled Christian quietly as he walked over to Brooke's station.

Brooke shrugged, "It's whatever…I'm just keeping my mouth shut for now. I need this job."

Christian nodded in agreement, "Yeah I hear you on that one…did you hear the rumor?"

"Oh great," muttered Brooke as she rolled her ice-blue eyes, "More rumors? Now what?"

"Actually it's a good one…well depending on what your point of view is it's a good rumor."

Brooke raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Do tell."

"Apparently Junior's starting his own bike shop," said Christian, his eyes twinkling a little in excitement, "Rumor has it he's bought a building just a few blocks down the road and he plans to start hiring crew and building bikes ASAP."

Brooke's eyes grew wide with surprise. She hadn't really spoken much to Paul since he had been fired from OCC. They weren't really sure what to do about their relationship now with all the tension that surrounded them. They both didn't want to break up but they had decided to lie low for awhile till things cooled off. Paul didn't want Brooke to lose her job because of the drama that had gone down between himself and his father.

"Are you serious?" asked Brooke, her eyes wide and sparkling with excitement.

"Yeah…I was going to check it out myself but I chickened out…Senior would kill us if he had any clue that we were even discussing this right now," said Christian as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation, "But I just thought you should know…I mean I know things aren't really easy for you around here anymore. You and Mikey are getting the raw end of Senior's wrath right now because of your connections to Paulie and I figured you know…just in case things go south, at least you know you have another option."

Brooke sneered little at that, "Things have already gone south, Christian. I can barely stand to get up in the morning and drag myself to this place. So many bad things have happened here…so much pain and hurt happened here and the only good thing that came from me working here was me meeting you, Paul, Mikey and Vinnie and now you're the only one left and Rick…well God only knows where Rick is now…so there's really nothing left for me here anymore."

Christian looked up in surprise, "So…are you…quitting?"

Brooke took off her work gloves and sat them down on the work bench decisively, "Yeah…that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm done with OCC for now and forever."

Christian blinked in surprise, "Wow…well you'll be missed that's for sure."

Brooke sneered, "Somehow I doubt that, but thank you…you've been a good friend Christian. Stay strong."

Brooke gave Christian a hug before she made her way to Senior's office. She felt a sense of freedom as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she opened the door and walked into the room. She was almost free from the place that had been holding her like a prisoner…the chains that had held her so tightly to OCC were breaking link by link and she was elated…

…

Brooke made a bee-line for the parking lot. She heard something shatter behind her and realized that Senior had chucked something across his office. He had been livid when she told him she was leaving but she could care less. With a smile on her face Brooke climbed into her car and drove away from OCC, never once looking in her rearview mirror as she sped down the road…

…

"Vince!" shouted Paul as he walked into his new headquarters building.

The old warehouse building definitely could use a lot of work but he didn't mind. This was a new start and this old building was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Even better than that, his old friend and fellow co-worker at OCC, Vinnie had agreed to help Paul get his company underway. Today was Vinnie's first day on the job and together he, Paul and Mikey were going to begin scrubbing the building down and preparing it for the tools and machines they would be moving in within the next few weeks.

"What's up man?" asked Vinnie as he hugged Paul, "Long time no see!"

"You ready to get this place cleaned up?" asked Paul, smiling with excitement as he envisioned what the building would look like once they were done.

Vinnie sighed, "It's gonna take a helluva lot of work but yeah man I'm ready."

"Ah it's just like the good old days," said Mikey as he put an arm around Paul and an arm around Vinnie, "Minus the yelling and the tension."

They all laughed a little at that as they prepared to turn on the hoses to power-wash the walls.

"Hey!"

They all froze as an all-too-familiar voice echoed through the empty warehouse. Paul broke out into a huge grin when he saw who was standing at the entrance to the building.

Brooke smiled broadly, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she stepped inside, "You guys looking for an extra pair of hands?"

_This one goes out to the man who mines for miracles  
This one goes out to the ones in need  
This one goes out to the sinner and the cynical  
This ain't about no apology  
This road was paved by the hopeless and the hungry  
This road was paved by the winds of change  
Walking beside the guilty and the innocent  
How will you raise your hand when they call your name?  
Yeah, yeah, yeah_

We weren't born to follow  
Come on and get up off your knees  
When life is a bitter pill to swallow  
You gotta hold on to what you believe  
Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow  
And that your saints and sinners bleed  
We weren't born to follow  
You gotta stand up for what you believe  
Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah

This one's about anyone who does it differently  
This one's about the one who cusses and spits  
This ain't about our livin' in a fantasy  
This ain't about givin' up or givin' in  
Yeah, yeah, yeah

We weren't born to follow!


End file.
